With two days until the Minnesota Vikings report to training camp, the biggest question is the status of Dalvin Cook.
The Vikings star running back is currently holding out for a new contract and will not report to team-related activities until he has a new deal, but head coach Mike Zimmer said on Saturday per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin that Cook told him he would report to camp when it begins on Tuesday.
That seems to mean that Cook’s holdout could be coming to an end, but Cook’s agent Zac Hiller refuted the report to ESPN’s Adam Schefter saying that Cook hasn’t even talked to Zimmer in recent days.
Dalvin Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller: “First, congrats to Coach Zimmer on his well-earned extension. However, Dalvin has not spoken to him in regards to reporting to camp. We are unsure why this was said. I hope Dalvin can continue to play a major role in the Vikings future success.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 25, 2020
Just as it seems like the holdout will continue, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Cook has spoken with running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu, who believes Cook will report to camp.
Some clarity: #Vikings RB Dalvin Cook told RBs coach Kennedy Polamalu he plans to report to training camp, per source. Polamalu relayed that to coach Mike Zimmer, who has texted with Cook tonight to straighten things out.
Bottom line: Minnesota expects Cook in camp Tuesday.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 26, 2020
Adding another layer of intrigue to the situation is the collective bargaining agreement. When Cook began his holdout, players that did not report to training camp would not get credit for a full season, meaning Cook would be a restricted free agent next spring if he didn’t report to camp on time.
But on Friday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that if players are on the Week 1 roster and played in at least one game, Cook would get credit for the upcoming season and become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
Cook is currently making $1.3 million in the final year of his rookie contract and is seeking a raise. Contract extensions given to Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry have helped his cause, but the league’s salary cap situation, which could drop by $23 million next season, also complicates potential negotiations.
If Cook reports, the Vikings will have their offensive centerpiece in camp and could continue a precedent of announcing big extensions during the opening days of camp. If he doesn’t it could represent a contract situation that could linger all the way up to the Vikings’ opener against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 12.
