Minnesota Vikings: 8 Bold Predictions for the 2020 Season

Dalvin Cook will play 16 games

One of the biggest storylines this offseason was the contract status of Dalvin Cook. Heading into the final year of his rookie deal, Cook wanted a raise from his $1.3 million base salary and it seemed by most accounts the Vikings were willing to give it to him. Unfortunately, the two sides couldn’t come to a deal leaving plenty of question marks and a lot of money on the table.

That leaves Cook in a bind. Based on his history, it would seem that Cook is a given to get hurt during the course of the season. It would also seem that if Cook were to get hurt, he may sit out longer without a new deal in order to not further hurt his value when he hits free agency in 2021. But the sleeper bet is that this is the year Cook finally plays 16 games.

Cook’s injury history is a long one, but several of his injuries were bad luck. A torn ACL on a non-contact play is one thing and a pulled hamstring the following year can be a correlation to the torn ligament in his knee. Last year, Cook got banged up and hurt his shoulder and chest which is understandable considering the toll of the running back position.

There isn’t much Cook can do to avoid the injuries he’s suffered, so this could be the year where Cook escapes healthy. To add, there’s more incentive for Cook to play considering sitting out games would enhance the “injury-prone” label and drive his price down next offseason.

Long story short, Cook will likely do everything he can to stay on the field and cash in either in Minnesota or somewhere else.