The Vikings won the NFC North for the first time since the 2017 season. Throughout their entire schedule, they became specialists in winning close games. One of the most thrilling teams to watch in the NFL.
Minnesota had a 13-4 record in the first year as head coach for Kevin O’Connell, but, their Super Bowl hopes ended with a shocking 31-24 against the Giants at home in the Wild Card round.
Now, the Vikings need to fix the missing pieces in order to compete with favorites in the NFC such as the Philadelphia Eagles or the San Francisco 49ers. The big question is if Dalvin Cook will be on that plan.
Will Dalvin Cook be released by the Minnesota Vikings?
Dalvin Cook has been one of the best running backs in the NFL during the last years. In six seasons with Minnesota, the star player made the Pro Bowl four times. He’s also had four straight 1000-yard seasons.
However, the Vikings have made their final decision and they will release Dalvin Cook. According to a report from Tom Pelissero, they could wait until Friday to do it just in case a possible trade is offered to them. If not, the running back will be out.
The biggest problem for the Vikings was Cook’s salary for 2023: $10.4 million. As a consequence, they decided to part ways. The move will allow the Vikings to save $9 million on the salary cap in 2023 ($5 million in dead money).
In 2020, Dalvin Cook signed a five-year, $63 million contract extension. Nevertheless, in this new process for the Vikings’ front office, there was no way to retain the running back.