As the Vikings prepare for training camp this week, one of the team’s most important offensive players is excited to start a new era.
Running back Dalvin Cook is entering his sixth pro season and his first under a head coach not named Mike Zimmer. With Kevin O’Connell now at the helm, Cook said over the weekend that he’s looking forward to seeing what the team can do together.
“I’m very fired up,” Cook said, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “There’s a new energy in the building. We’re just ready to show everybody what we’re putting in, and go out and compete. … I’m just loving what’s going on in the building, loving our team chemistry, and I feel like we’ve got something special going on.”
While O’Connell is expected to have a more pass-heavy approach than Zimmer’s run-first mentality, Cook isn’t concerned that he could have fewer carries.
“Whenever my number is called, I’m going to make the best of my opportunity,” Cook said. “Whatever it is, I just want to win at this point.”
Cook has never played every game in a season, battling through various injuries throughout his career. He was a Pro Bowler in 2021 after registering 1,159 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 224 yards.