The Minnesota Vikings officially released Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook on Friday (June 9), Vikings.com senior editor Craig Peters confirmed.
Peter acknowledged that the move came after "the Vikings have had to make multiple cuts because of the salary cap."
"I hold Dalvin in the highest regard and am grateful for his contributions on and off the field. Dalvin is a tough, dynamic player and a respected leader by his teammates, which was evident by his multiple seasons as a team captain," said head coach Kevin O'Connell via Vikings.com.. "As a finalist for the 2022 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, Dalvin's approach to the game and his commitment to sportsmanship is clearly respected across the league. We appreciate Dalvin's positivity, energy and leadership and will be pulling for him in the future."
On Thursday (June 8), a source with knowledge of the situation told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero that the Vikings were expected to release Cook on Friday unless they could find a trade partner sooner.
"The #Vikings and four-time Pro Bowl RB Dalvin Cook are parting ways, per source. One of the NFL’s most dynamic playmakers, Cook is coming off a fourth straight 1,000-yard season and has 52 career TDs. Now he’ll be a free agent at age 27 and will have multiple suitors," Pelissero tweeted. "The #Vikings are expected to officially release Dalvin Cook on Friday, per source. So unless a Hail Mary trade offer comes through, he'll be free to sign with any team starting after 4 p.m. Friday."
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Dolphins and Broncos "have been monitoring Cook for weeks," but noted that "there will likely be" more teams interested in his services.
Cook, who was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in 2022, finishes his six-season tenure in Minnesota as the franchise's third all-time leading rusher behind Adrian Peterson and Robert Smith with 5,993 yards, while also recording 47 touchdowns in 73 regular season games. The former Florida State standout recorded 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns on 264 carries while appearing in all 17 regular season games, as well as the Vikings' Wild Card Round playoff loss, in 2022, marking the fourth consecutive season in which he recorded more than 1,000 rushing yards.
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