Dalvin Cook reportedly ‘comfortable’ with waiting out free-agent market

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Dalvin Cook appears to be fine waiting things out as he remains on the free-agent market.

The former Minnesota Vikings running back is reportedly both “in a holding pattern” and “comfortable” with waiting to sign until the season begins, as he’s looking to be paid top running back money. The Miami Dolphins and other teams have made Cook an offer, though Miami is also “comfortable” with its running back room, NFL Media added in its report.

Cook, who reportedly believes that he’s still one of the league’s top running backs, has been among the top of the leaderboard in volume stats in recent seasons. He was sixth in rushing yards last season (1,173) and finished in the top five in rushing yards in the two seasons prior to 2022. The soon-to-be 28-year-old is also second among all active running backs in rushing yards per game (82.1) and sixth in yards per carry (4.7).

The Vikings moved on from Cook due to his salary, nonetheless. He was getting paid like a top running back already with the five-year, $63 million extension he signed in 2020. With that contract, Cook would’ve carried a $14.1 million cap hit for the upcoming season if he wasn’t released.

Minnesota opted to sign Alexander Mattison to a multi-year deal earlier in the offseason, as Cook had a career-low 4.4 yards per carry and his second-lowest rushing yards per game (69) in 2022.

The Dolphins have been the team linked to Cook the most as they were reportedly among teams interested in trading for him prior to his release in June. While the Dolphins’ offense was statically among one of the best in the NFL last season, Miami ranked 25th in rushing yards per game (99.2) as it juggled playing Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. The Dolphins decided to bulk up their running back room in the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Texas A&M‘s Devon Achane in the third round.

The New York Jets have been the other team most commonly linked to Cook. While Breece Hall was one of the game’s top backs when he played last season as a rookie, he’s also coming back from a torn ACL injury. Signing Cook could help ease the burden for the Year 2 running back.