Name: Vikings’ Dalvin Cook calls it ‘a sigh of relief’ signing five-year, $63 million extension on eve of opener
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Vikings’ Dalvin Cook calls it ‘a sigh of relief’ signing five-year, $63 million extension on eve of opener

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GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS.XBy | | Pioneer PressDalvin Cook likened it to winning the lottery.The Vikings announced Saturday the signing of the star running back to a contract extension. Cook told the Pioneer Press it’s a five-year deal worth $63 million with $28 million guaranteed, including a signing bonus of $15 million. It takes Cook through the 2025 season.“Definitely excited,” Cook said. “Definitely a sigh of relief as far as being excited for being in Minnesota for years. That’s truly a blessing because I love being in this place, I love being in the locker room with the guys around. That was the most important to me, being around the guys that I love the most.’’The sides had been negotiating over the past six months and often did not appear to be close. The deal finally got done on the eve of Minnesota’s season opener Sunday against Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium.“It definitely is like (winning the lottery),’’ Cook said. “But I’ll still be me. I work hard every day when I get up and stick to my routine and just be the same person. This is just a reward for all the hard work that’s been put in to this point.’’Cook got the news when his agent, Zac Hiller, called him on Saturday morning.“I knew they were having talks, I knew they were having meetings and stuff but he called,’’ Cook said. “I&nbsp;was very excited (when Hiller called). I’m still processing it and getting ready for a game, so everything is going through my mind but I’m enjoying it with my family.’’Cook, taken in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft, has a base salary this season of $1.331 million, and was in line to become a free agent next March. He now becomes the sixth-highest paid running back in the NFL based on new money and an average salary per year of $12.6 million.During the negotiations, there were questions about whether the Vikings would be able to lock up Cook before the start of this season to a long-term deal. ESPN reported in June that a source said Cook might not report to training camp if he didn’t get a “reasonable” contract offer. Cook did report in July, and said in August .“They started at what they wanted to start at,” Cook said Saturday about the Vikings’ initial offer, which he did not reveal. “Everybody had to just get to a certain point. … We had time to get things done and everybody to see things clearly and we’re both seeing things clearly and I’m a Viking.’’Not that there weren’t some anxious moments for Cook over the past week as the Vikings prepared for the opener.“I always told myself every day I woke up this week getting ready for game, I just said, ‘Focus on the game, and as bad as you want to get a deal, you’ve got to focus on the game and the game plan,’’’ Cook said. “I love football. That was my number one priority, and I was just going to let my agent take care of what he had to take care of.’’In an interview with the Pioneer Press last April, and talked about wanting to sign a long-term extension with Minnesota. He said Saturday he’s “fine” with being the sixth-highest paid running back and wants to be a “Viking for life.”“I just want to play football and I want to be in Minnesota, and that was my security blanket,” he said. “I love everything about this place. And that’s what it came down to for me.’’According to salary-cap analyst Jason Fitzgerald, who runs the site , Minnesota entered Saturday with just $629,687 of cap room. However, the Vikings converted $6 million of linebacker Eric Kendricks’ $7.15 million base salary into a signing bonus. By being able to spread out some of Kendricks’ money, that enabled the Vikings to spread out Cook’s signing bonus and remain under the cap.Had Cook not signed an extension, the Vikings could have placed a franchise tag on him next March. With the salary cap expected to go down due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been estimated the tag for running backs will be around $9 million for 2021.NFL teams are allowed one franchise tag per year. The signing of Cook eliminates the possibility of the Vikings having to choose next March between putting a tag on Cook or Yannick Ngakoue, the defensive end who was acquired two weeks ago from Jacksonville and is playing on a one-year, $12 million deal. Safety Anthony Harris is eligible in March for a second franchise tag but it would be at $13.73 million, which is possibly not realistic.Vikings general manager Rick Spielman did not return a message Saturday asking for a comment on the signing of Cook.Despite missing two games last season and nearly two full halves of two others with chest and shoulder, Cook rushed for 1,135 yards, becoming the first Minnesota back to get to 1,000 since Adrian Peterson in 2015. He caught 53 passes for 519 yards.“It’s great,’’ former Vikings star running back Chuck Foreman, who has gotten to know Cook, said of the extension. “The way they are put together with the talent that they have, he is the vital part of their offense, I mean, he makes it go. …. &nbsp;He’s a millionaire and he’s got generational money, and that’s good for him and his family.’’Cook is a native of Miami. Family members there were elated Saturday when they got the word about his extension.“We are definitely very excited,’’ said Cook’s mother, Varondria Burnett. “He’s worked so hard for this moment. Minnesota was the only team that took a chance on my son, and I’m forever grateful. I really wanted him to stay with Minnesota, first-class organization.”Now, Cook is locked up for the next six seasons. He has the longest current contract on the Vikings.“It’s just a great time for me and my family and the Vikings,’’ he said.Sign up for Newsletters and AlertsClose

GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS.XBy | | Pioneer PressDalvin Cook likened it to winning the lottery.The Vikings announced Saturday the signing of the star running back to a contract extension. Cook told the Pioneer Press it’s a five-year deal worth $63 million with $28 million guaranteed, including a signing bonus of $15 million. It takes Cook through the 2025 season.“Definitely excited,” Cook said. “Definitely a sigh of relief as far as being excited for being in Minnesota for years. That’s truly a blessing because I love being in this place, I love...

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Chris Tomasson

Twin Cities news, sports, politics, entertainment and business from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Minnesota's first newspaper.

Vikings’ Dalvin Cook calls it ‘a sigh of relief’ signing five-year, $63 million extension on eve of opener

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