It’s Another Positive Update for Vikings RB Dalvin Cook Post-Shoulder Surgery
Josh Frey
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Back in February, Vikings RB Dalvin Cook underwent a surgery on his left shoulder to finally repair it after multiple injuries suffered in recent years hampered the veteran running back. And now, with the 2023 NFL Draft approaching, we’ve received yet another positive update on the status of the soon-to-be 28-year-old back.
The update was reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network on Monday morning. The reporter tweeted, “#Vikings RB Dalvin Cook was recently in Minnesota for a post-surgery checkup on his shoulder and is said to be making excellent progress, per sources. Cook played the last three seasons while protecting the injured shoulder, which is now 100% stable and stronger.”
Despite suffering yet another dislocation in the shoulder last season, Cook played all 17 games for the Vikings in 2022. It was the first season of his career where he didn’t miss any time due to injury. He also recorded his fourth consecutive 1000-yard season as a result, carrying 264 times for 1173 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Cook may have had continued success in his rushing totals last year, but 2022 was the running back’s least efficient season of his career, and with Cook now set to carry a $14.1 million cap hit in 2023, there have been rumors that the Vikings could look to move on from him.
It seems safe to assume that any trade talk that could have been had are being held up due to the status of his shoulder, so with this new update, the hope may be that other teams now become interested in the veteran back.
Regardless, it still feels quite unlikely that the Vikings keep Cook in Minnesota during 2023, especially without being able to restructure his contract. Things began trending this way when the Vikings re-signed Alexander Mattison to a two-year contract earlier in the offseason even with Mattison’s well-known desire to be a starter this upcoming season.
In all, this is an extremely positive update for both Cook and the Vikings. If Cook is indeed at 100% now for the first time in three years, we could see him return back to some semblance of his 2020 form. If that is the case, he will be a great player for either the Vikings or whichever team chooses to acquire him this offseason.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.