Is Dalvin Cook entering his last season with the Vikings?

Without a new deal, the Minnesota Vikings running back will be a free agent in 2021.

When talks about Dalvin Cook potentially getting an extension from the Minnesota Vikings first started earlier this year, most assumed a deal would probably get done during the beginning of this year’s training camp at the very latest.

However, it has recently been reported that contract talks between Cook and the Vikings have come to a standstill. There’s still a chance that an extension gets done before Minnesota’s first game of the 2020 season, but the likelihood of this happening certainly took a hit this week.

If Cook doesn’t get a new contract this year, he will become an unrestricted free agent in 2021. So unless the Vikings use the franchise tag on him, the running back would be free to sign with any team in the NFL next year.

Will Dalvin Cook still be with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021?

The guys over at Bleeding Purple recently explored the idea of this season potentially being Cook’s last in Minnesota. With no extension signed yet, this is something that has to be considered as a legitimate possibility.

Cook has repeatedly said he loves playing for the Vikings and the team has made it pretty clear that they want to keep him around past the upcoming season. So what is the holdup?

Usually, it comes down to money and this could be the case with Cook’s negotiations. It’s been reported in the past that the running back would like to earn a yearly salary close to what current Houston Texans running back David Johnson is making ($13 million per year).

However, Minnesota’s offers to Cook have reportedly been closer to what Melvin Gordon was being presented with during his negotiations with the Los Angeles Chargers last year ($10 million per season) according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson.

There are other details of a potential extension that could be big factors as well including the amount of fully guaranteed money the Vikings are willing to give Cook and the types of playing incentives the team is trying to get the running back to agree to.

Some good news is that Wolfson also added that people shouldn’t panic about Cook’s future in Minnesota. But until a deal is actually done, the running back playing elsewhere in 2021 is still something that can’t be ruled out.

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