Free agent running back Dalvin Cook said Tuesday he’s in no rush to sign with a new team after being released by the Minnesota Vikings last week.
Appearing on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Cook said he will prioritize “fit for me and my family” and an organization who “values” him when he does pick a new team.
“My shoulder is feeling great. So, it’s like a waiting game right now at this point. Just trying to find that right situation, and I don’t think it’s a rush or anything,” Cook, who had surgery in February to repair a torn labrum, said.
He added: “I want somebody who values Dalvin Cook. I want somebody that wants me to be there and give me the ball. I just want to go into the right situation so I can go help somebody win.”
Cook, who was released on Friday, said it’s been “crazy” when asked if people around the league had already reached out to him.
“I play Madden a lot, and I do create a GM in Madden with my son, so we’ve been playing and stuff like that. Going through this process in real life it kind of feels like a creative game to me,” he said. “It’s funny, man. It’s an exciting step in my life and a lot of people have reached out to me this past week. Just to reach out and see what I was thinking but there’s a lot of people reaching out.”
Cook, who turns 28 on Aug. 10, managed to start every game in 2022 for the first time in his career, even after separating his shoulder in Week 3. But he finished with an average of 17.8 touches and 86 yards from scrimmage per game in Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell‘s new scheme — both the lowest since he became a full-time player in 2019.
He did knock off two of the six longest runs of his career in 2022: a 53-yard score in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins and an 81-yard touchdown in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills. On the latter, he recorded a top speed of 21.68 mph, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, the seventh-fastest speed of any ball carrier in 2022.
He rushed for 1,173 yards last season — his fourth straight year he has rushed for more than 1,000 yards — en route to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl selection.
Despite being released, Cook said Tuesday he has “a lot of love for Minnesota.”
“They brought a kid in that didn’t know what to expect and they embraced me,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to this next step in my life and it’s going to be fun. Whoever gets Dalvin Cook, they know what they are getting. That’s just plain and simple. You know what you are getting out of me, and I’m going to be a great team player, great teammate, great person in the locker room. I’m just ready to go run the rock and help somebody win games.”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.