Dalvin Cook heading toward a holdout this offseason?

Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, the talented running back is expected to be looking for an extension this offseason from the Minnesota Vikings.

After spending a good amount of time on the sidelines during his first two years with the Minnesota Vikings, Dalvin Cook was finally able to prove last season why he was the team’s top draft pick in 2017.

Cook started 14 games last year and it resulted in him accumulating 1,654 total yards (1,135 rushing and 519 receiving) and 13 touchdowns. He was easily one of the best running backs in the entire NFL last season.

So now, Cook is heading into the final year of his rookie contract. With his performance in 2019, the assumption is that the talented running back will be looking for a new deal before he takes the field next season.

How much money Cook will be looking to make is still unknown, but him wanting something similar to what some of the top running backs in the league are currently making seems likely.

If Cook doesn’t get an extension from the Vikings sooner than later, there’s apparently a chance that he could stage a holdout. Recently, NFL Media’s Tom Peliserro stated that he wouldn’t expect the running back to participate in any of Minnesota’s team activities this spring if he hasn’t agreed to a new contract before then.

This would be quite the decision for Cook if this is actually what ends up happening. Despite his performance in 2019 showing he can play at a very high level, a holdout could potentially turn out poorly for him. All he has to do is google Melvin Gordon to find out why.

Cook might feel he is worth being paid similarly to some of the top earners at his position, but he has to also realize the tremendous risk it would be for Minnesota to give him a large contract this year. Especially since his first two seasons resulted in him missing more than half of the Vikings’ games due to injuries.

Add in the fact that the offensive system Minnesota currently utilizes is very running back-friendly, the team probably wouldn’t have trouble finding a replacement for Cook if he decided to stage a long holdout.

Alexander Mattison showed flashes last season and he could definitely be someone who the Vikings could utilize as their starter in the backfield if Cook ended up not being available.

Staging a holdout for a new contract this year doesn’t really seem like it would turn out very well for Cook. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t mean it won’t happen.