We might know how much Dalvin Cook will cost the Vikings now

With the Minnesota Vikings last year, Dalvin Cook finally had the season everyone knew he was capable of. Now, with one year left on his rookie contract, Cook is hoping to land a lucrative extension to remain with the Vikings for the next handful of seasons.

Coming off a 2019 campaign that saw him gain 1,654 total yards and 13 touchdowns, who can blame the 24-year-old running back? Cook knows how valuable he is to Minnesota’s offense, so he’s going to make sure he gets paid what he’s worth in his next contract.

Exactly how much a new deal for the running back might cost the Vikings isn’t something that many have been able to really accurately estimate. This was at least the case until Monday.

Recent extension could help predict how much Dalvin Cook will cost for the Minnesota Vikings.

When attempting to determine how much a new contract for a given player will cost, it’s a good idea to look at what some of the comparable guys from their specific position group are currently getting paid. For Cook, he can use a recent contract signed by one of the best running backs in the NFL as a reference point in his negotiations with Minnesota.

On Monday, the Carolina Panthers and running back Christian McCaffrey agreed to a four-year extension worth up to $64 million according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. For those who don’t feel like doing the math, that’s an average yearly salary of $16 million. This average is now the highest of any running back in the entire league.

This contract is going to be very essential when it comes to figuring out how much an extension for Cook might cost the Vikings.

Cook currently views himself as the best running back in the NFL, he even made this clear during a recent conversation with the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson. So since he thinks he’s the best, he’s going to want to get paid like the best, which likely means more than McCaffrey.

If this is the case then Cook will want an extension that gives him an average salary that is at least higher than McCaffrey’s, even if it’s only $16.1 million.

Whatever amount Minnesota and their top running back are able to agree on, people have to remember two things.

First, the salary cap is expected to continue increasing during the next few years so Cook’s deal won’t really even look that expensive in the near future. And second, the Vikings have some of the best people in the entire NFL when it comes to negotiating contracts that benefit both the player and the team.