The Minnesota Vikings have re-signed running back Alexander Mattison, the team announced on Thursday.
According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, it’s a two-year deal worth $7 million that can get to $8 million with $6.35 million in guarantees.
In 2022, the 24-year-old Mattison rushed for 274 yards, posted a career-high five rushing touchdowns, and recorded his third game with 100-plus rushing yards.
Some have speculated that this move indicates that Minnesota could trade RB Dalvin Cook, who has a $14.1 million cap hit in 2023, but we’ll see how the Vikings will proceed going forward.
The five-year veteran has played in 59 career games (six starts) and recorded 404 rushes for 1,670 yards and 11 touchdowns. Additionally, he has caught 70 passes for 526 yards and three touchdowns.
He was originally drafted in the third round (102nd overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Justin Jefferson have been selected by players, fans and coaches to the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl.
Cook, 25, is selected to his second consecutive Pro Bowl after leading the fan voting as the top NFC running back among vote-getters. Entering Week 16, Cook leads the NFL with 1,833 scrimmage yards and is tied for first with 15 rushing touchdowns. During the Week 15 matchup against Chicago, the fourth-year running back became the third Viking in team history to rush for over 1,400 yards in a season and passed Adrian Peterson’s 2009 season total (1,383) to move into fifth place in franchise history with 1,484 rushing yards. Peterson (2008, 2012, 2015) and Robert Smith (2000) are the only other Vikings to tally at least 1,400 rushing yards or more in a season.
The Florida State product was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month after leading the NFL with 641 rushing yards on 127 attempts and an average of 128.2 rushing yards per game through five contests in November. His 641 yards were the seventh-most rushing yards recorded in the month of November in NFL history, and the total set a team record for the month of November. His 128.2 rushing yards per game and 166.4 scrimmage yards per game also ranked third in Vikings history for the month.
Cook’s eight 100-yard rushing games in 2020 are tied with Robert Smith (2000) as the third-most 100-yard rushing games recorded in a season by a Viking. With 32 career touchdowns, Cook tied Smith for the fifth-most rushing touchdowns in team history. Cook’s 15 rushing touchdowns also tied the team record through 15 weeks. Peterson scored 15 rushing touchdowns through 15 weeks in 2009. The Miami, Florida, native received NFC Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks in Weeks 8-9, becoming the fourth Viking in team history to do so.
Jefferson garners his first Pro Bowl nod in his rookie campaign, joining only Viking rookie wide receivers Randy Moss (1998) and Sammy White (1976) to be named to the Pro Bowl in their first seasons. Jefferson also joins Moss and Amari Cooper (2015) as the only wide receivers in NFL history to be named to a Pro Bowl at the age of 21. Percy Harvin (2009) and Mecole Hardman (2019) were both selected at the age of 21 as return specialists.
The LSU product leads all rookie receivers with 1,182 yards and the total ranks eighth in the league entering Week 16. Jefferson also ranks sixth in the NFL among qualified receivers entering Week 16 with an average of 16.2 yards per reception (1,182/73). His 84.4 receiving yards per game rank ninth in the league while his 21 receptions of 20 or more yards are tied for the most in the NFL.
Coming off Week 15, Jefferson set the franchise rookie receptions record (73), breaking the previous mark of 69 set by Hall of Famer Randy Moss in 1998. With his 104-yard performance vs. Chicago, Jefferson became the fifth player in NFL history to record six 100-yard receiving games as a rookie. With 1,182 receiving yards this season, Jefferson passed Harlon Hill (1,124 in 1954), Bill Brooks (1,131 in 1986), Terry Glenn (1,132 in 1996) and Michael Thomas (1,137 in 2016) for the seventh-most receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history. The St. Rose, Louisiana, native became the fifth player in NFL history to record six 100-yard receiving games as a rookie, joining Billy Howton (six in 1952), Hill (seven in 1954), Odell Beckham Jr. (seven in 2014) and Bill Groman (nine in 1960).
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, with 143,355 votes, leads all players in balloting for the 2021 Pro Bowl.
Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson (139,839 votes) ranks second overall, while Minnesota running back DALVIN COOK (131,875 votes), Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce (127,868 votes) and Arizona wide receiver DeAndre Hopkin (127,039 votes) round out the top five.
Two of the top five vote-getters – Mahomes and Cook – are age 25 while six first- or second-year players currently lead their conference in votes received at their respective positions.
The PITTSBURGH STEELERS lead all clubs in total votes received. The KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, GREEN BAY PACKERS and BUFFALO BILLS round out the current top five.
Fan voting for the 2021 Pro Bowl presented by Verizon will continue online and on web-enabled mobile phones at NFL.com/ProBowlVote until Thursday, December 17.
During the final two weeks of 2021 Pro Bowl voting – December 1-17 – fans will also be able to vote directly on Twitter. To cast such a vote, fans should tweet the first and last name of the player, the player’s official Twitter handle, or a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. All three of these methods must include the hashtag: #ProBowlVote. Voting via Twitter is in addition to the online ballot at NFL.com/ProBowlVote, which will be available throughout the entire voting period.
Roster selections are determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group’s vote counts one-third toward determining the 88 All-Star players. NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on Friday, December 18.
The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its All-Star teams. It was also the first professional sports league to offer online all-star voting in 1995. The roster reveal will be aired on NFL Network in late December.
NFL PRO BOWL TOP-FIVE VOTE-GETTERS
POS.
|
NAME
|
TEAM
|
VOTES
|
QB
|
Patrick Mahomes
|
Kansas City Chiefs
|
143,355
|
QB
|
Russell Wilson
|
Seattle Seahawks
|
139,839
|
RB
|
Dalvin Cook
|
Minnesota Vikings
|
131,875
|
TE
|
Travis Kelce
|
Kansas City Chiefs
|
127,868
|
WR
|
DeAndre Hopkins
|
Arizona Cardinals
|
127,039
|
NFL PRO BOWL MOST VOTES BY TEAM
TEAM
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
Kansas City Chiefs
|
Seattle Seahawks
|
Green Bay Packers
|
Buffalo Bills
|
AFC & NFC LEADING VOTE-GETTERS BY POSITION
POS.
|
CONF.
|
NAME, TEAM
|
VOTES
|
POS.
|
CONF.
|
NAME, TEAM
|
VOTES
|
|
QB
|
AFC
|
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City
|
143,355
|
DE
|
AFC
|
Myles Garrett, Cleveland
|
95,374
|
|
QB
|
NFC
|
Russell Wilson, Seattle
|
139,839
|
DE
|
NFC
|
Brian Burns, Carolina
|
50,054
|
|
RB
|
AFC
|
Derrick Henry, Tennessee
|
126,799
|
DT
|
AFC
|
Chris Jones, Kansas City
|
54,987
|
|
RB
|
NFC
|
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota
|
131,875
|
DT
|
NFC
|
Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
|
83,143
|
|
FB
|
AFC
|
Andy Janovich, Cleveland
|
50,640
|
OLB
|
AFC
|
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh
|
69,924
|
|
FB
|
NFC
|
Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco
|
112,798
|
OLB
|
NFC
|
Khalil Mack, Chicago
|
47,689
|
|
WR
|
AFC
|
Stefon Diggs, Buffalo
|
109,537
|
ILB
|
AFC
|
Zach Cunningham, Houston
|
27,731
|
|
WR
|
NFC
|
DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona
|
127,039
|
ILB
|
NFC
|
Devin White, Tampa Bay
|
78,750
|
|
TE
|
AFC
|
Travis Kelce, Kansas City
|
127,868
|
CB
|
AFC
|
Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore
|
53,821
|
|
TE
|
NFC
|
T.J. Hockenson, Detroit
|
54,312
|
CB
|
NFC
|
Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans
|
31,053
|
|
T
|
AFC
|
Mekhi Becton, New York Jets
|
41,193
|
SS
|
AFC
|
Tyrann Mathieu, Kansas City
|
70,941
|
|
T
|
NFC
|
David Bakhtiari, Green Bay
|
82,172
|
SS
|
NFC
|
Budda Baker, Arizona
|
95,234
|
|
G
|
AFC
|
Joel Bitonio, Cleveland
|
58,977
|
FS
|
AFC
|
Justin Simmons, Denver
|
74,568
|
|
G
|
NFC
|
Alex Cappa, Tampa Bay
|
31,705
|
FS
|
NFC
|
Logan Ryan, New York Giants
|
42,722
|
|
C
|
AFC
|
David Andrews, New England
|
51,482
|
P
|
AFC
|
Braden Mann, New York Jets
|
26,248
|
|
C
|
NFC
|
Jason Kelce, Philadelphia
|
40,358
|
P
|
NFC
|
Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles Rams
|
41,011
|
|
K
|
AFC
|
Rodrigo Blankenship, Indianapolis
|
44,865
|
ST
|
AFC
|
Chris Board, Baltimore
|
40,379
|
|
K
|
NFC
|
Younghoe Koo, Atlanta
|
75,673
|
ST
|
NFC
|
Nick Bellore, Seattle
|
43,906
|
|
RS
|
AFC
|
Andre Roberts, Buffalo
|
50,847
|
LS
|
AFC
|
Kameron Canaday, Pittsburgh
|
48,869
|
|
RS
|
NFC
|
Cordarrelle Patterson, Chicago
|
79,010
|
LS
|
NFC
|
Hunter Bradley, Green Bay
|
45,837
|
|
*Vote totals through Wednesday, November 25 at 8:00 AM ET
|
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook has done it again. On Wednesday, Cook was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Detroit Lions in Week 9.
In a 34-20 win against the Lions, the 25-year-old Cook rushed for a career-high 206 yards and scored twice, including a 70-yard touchdown. With the performance, Cook joined Adrian Peterson and Ring of Honor member Chuck Foreman as the only players in team history to rush for 200 or more yards in a game.
The fourth-year pro is the first NFC player to earn the accolade in back-to-back weeks since Ryan Fitzpatrick did so in 2018 (Weeks 1-2) as a member of the Buccaneers and the first non-quarterback to be named in consecutive weeks since Todd Gurley in 2017 (Weeks 15-16) as a member of the Rams.
Combined with his outing in Week 8 at Green Bay, Cook became the third player in NFL history with 225-plus scrimmage yards and two-plus touchdowns in consecutive games, joining Deuce McAllister (2003) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (1963). He’s also the sixth player in NFL history and first since Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith in 1994 with a rushing score in each of his first seven games of a season.
After going 1-5 in their first six games, it appeared the Minnesota Vikings were going to have a long season. However, last week, Minnesota went into Green Bay and defeated the Packers, and on Sunday, the Vikings(3-5) continued their strong play as they beat the Lions(3-5) at home 34-20.
Against the Packers, it was all about Dalvin Cook, who had four touchdowns against Green Bay, and on Sunday against Detroit, Cook continued his strong play as he ran for 206 yards and two more rushing touchdowns.
In the last two weeks, Cook has 369 yards rushing yards, a team-record through two games. Also, Cook is the third player in team history to rush for 200-plus yards in a game. The last Vikings RB to rush for over 200 yards is Adrian Peterson, who was on the opposite sideline with the Lions on Sunday.
As he did last week, Cook gave credit to his offensive line.
“You talk about confidence, and you talk about just building from last week like I said, them guys up-front, they are going to go home today with a lot of confidence that we can run the football,” Cook said. “That’s what it’s all about with me. giving those guys up front and my guys that are blocking for me a lot of confidence, and I think we got the confidence going into Monday Night Football.”
After their second straight victory, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer believes his team is gaining confidence.
“Well, when you’re sitting there at 1-5, everything is collapsing,” Zimmer said. “You’re getting ready to jump off the cliff. You beat Green Bay, and then you start to get a little juice. You beat Detroit, and now you start getting a little bit more juice. I think the confidence level helps. I think continuing to play well gives us confidence that we can do these things against good football teams. And Detroit’s a good team, they really are. Maybe they weren’t their best today, but It was a good win.”
According to Vikings QB Kirk Cousins, who threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, the next eight games will say a lot about Minnesota.
“Well, coming out of the bye at 1-5, my thought process was, ‘We have ten football games left, guaranteed to us.’ Those ten are probably going to tell the story more than the 1-5 start, so I’d say the same with eight left,” he said. “The second half is going to tell the story far more than the first half, so we need to have the best second half we possibly can, and that starts with a tough opponent in Chicago, on the road on Monday Night [Football].”
Minnesota is playing some good football right now, and if they continue to get big-time play out of Cook, maybe, just maybe the Vikings can turn this season around. We’ll see if the strong play continues against Chicago next Monday night.
Last Sunday was an excellent day for Vikings RB Dalvin Cook, and on Wednesday, Cook’s efforts were rewarded as he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
The fourth-year running back, who has now collected NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors three times in his career, set new career highs in carries (30), scrimmage yards (226), and total touchdowns (four) as the Vikings defeated the Packers 28-22 at Lambeau Field.
In three career games at Green Bay, Cook has averaged 169.0 scrimmage yards per game, the most in NFL history at Lambeau Field among all players that have played at least three games at the venue. Cook carried the ball 30 times for 163 yards and three touchdowns while snagging two passes for 63 yards and one touchdown, becoming just the third Viking in team history to score four touchdowns in a game.
For the Minnesota Vikings(2-5), Sunday’s win against the Green Bay Packers(5-2) was all about Dalvin Cook. The fourth-year running back, who missed last week’s game because of a groin injury, did everything for the Vikings. Cook scored all Minnesota’s points and finished the game with four touchdowns(three rushing, one receiving). He also ran for 163 yards as the Vikings stunned the Packers 28-22 at Lambeau Field.
After the game, Cook, who had a career-high 226 yards of total offense on Sunday, gave credit to his offensive line.
“You always appreciate what people do for you,” he said. “I know how much I work, and I know how much those guys work, so you gotta commend those guys too because I’m grinding for my brother next to me. A reward for them is me scoring a touchdown, and they don’t get to score the touchdown. So, I want them guys to feel the feellng I feel when I’m in the end zone. Those guys are the reason I’m in front of you guys giving you guys a winning speech.”
According to ESPN, Cook became the first player to score a touchdown on each of his team’s first four possessions of a game since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, and coming into this game, Minnesota had been struggling. However, it was the “Cook Show” on Sunday, which impressed Vikings QB Kirk Cousins.
“Dalvin(Cook) did a great job today,” Cousins said after the game. “Anytime you score four touchdowns, you deserve some credit. He is a great, dynamic player. We are always trying to find ways to get him the football. I think of a third and long early in the game when I checked it down to him. He gets us the first down, and then we ended up getting a touchdown on that possession. Even those little plays make a big difference.”
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer added: “Well, Dalvin is a terrific player. He’s a great runner. The screen run, I think, was an outstanding play by him. We did get some guys downfield and blocked for him, but, you know, part of it too is, I thought we had a good scheme against them. And I thought our offensive line did an outstanding job. Dalvin’s great, there’s no doubt about that. Glad he’s on our team. But the offensive line and the receivers and the tight ends did a nice job blocking for him as well.”
It’s an excellent win for Minnesota and the type of win they can build on. If they want to make the playoffs, the Vikings have to start playing well right now, and maybe this victory over Green Bay is just the beginning.
The Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has signed a multi-year contract extension with the club, the Vikings announced on Saturday.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s a five-year contract extension worth $62.5 million that ties him to Minnesota for the next six seasons.
The four-year veteran rushed 1,135 yards in 14 games played last season, becoming the eighth player in Vikings history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season and the first since Adrian Peterson did so in 2015. Cook is also just the fourth player in franchise history to score 13 or more rushing touchdowns in a single season.
Cook, 25, finished the 2019 season with 519 receiving yards, ranking sixth among all NFL running backs. Averaging 11.2 yards after catch per reception, Cook led the NFL among all qualifying players last season. The Florida State product, who ranked seventh in the NFL with 1,654 yards from scrimmage in 2019.
Cook had struggled with injuries earlier in his career, including tearing his ACL as a rookie, but now with this extension, he has security, and the Vikings have a big-play running back for years to come.
Vikings safety Harrison Smith, defensive end Danielle Hunter and running back Dalvin Cook have been selected by players, fans and coaches to the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl. Cook and Smith were both named as starters.
Cook is selected to his first Pro Bowl after leading the fan voting as the top non-
quarterback among vote-getters. With 1,135 rushing yards through 14 games, Cook is the eighth player in Vikings history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, and the first since Adrian Peterson did so in 2015. Cook is also just the fourth player in franchise history to score 13 or more rushing touchdowns in a single season. The Florida State product, who ranks third in the NFL with 1,654 yards from scrimmage, was named Week 10 NFC Offensive Player of the Week at Dallas and FedEx Ground Player of the week twice, in Week 2 at Green Bay and Week 7 at Detroit.
Hunter, who is tied for third in the NFL in sacks with 13.5, has earned his second
consecutive Pro Bowl nod in his fifth season. With 47.5 sacks, Hunter has the third-most sacks in the NFL since the start of the 2016 season. He recorded 48.0 sacks prior to turning 25 years of age, an NFL record since sacks became an official stat in 1982, and became the youngest player (25 years and 40 days) to eclipse 50.0 career sacks, doing so in the Week 14 matchup against Detroit. The Katy, Texas, native earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for that effort. Hunter ranks in the top five in total tackles (65), sacks (13.5), sack yards (112.5) TFLs (14) and QBHs (21) at his position in the NFL.
Smith, with 80 total tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble
recoveries, three tackles for loss and 1.0 sack on the season, is one of the most versatile safeties in the league. His 11 passes defensed ranks third among NFL safeties. The Notre Dame product has been named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl a week after surpassing Antoine Winfield for third-most tackles by a Vikings defensive back in team history. The eighth-year veteran trails only Paul Krause (six) and Joey Browner (six – one as a special teamer) for the most Pro Bowl selections among Vikings safeties.
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. Cook paced the Vikings in both rushing yards (97) and receiving yards (86) to lead Minnesota past Dallas, 28-24, on Sunday Night Football.
With 183 total yards in the contest, he has surpassed 100 scrimmage yards a league-leading eight times in 2019. Cook’s 86 yards through the air also tied a career-high.
“I thought the offensive line did an outstanding job, and he’s (Cook) is a great player,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said on Wednesday. “We stayed on blocks, we finished blocks, the tight ends did a nice job, and receivers did a good job when they were in there blocking. Kirk got us in the right plays, and Dalvin is a great runner.”
Through 10 games, the former Florida State Seminole leads the NFL with 991 rushing yards and 1,415 scrimmage yards, while his 10 rushing touchdowns rank third in the league. Cook’s 1,415 scrimmage yards also set a franchise record and is the highest 10-game total in the NFL since DeMarco Murray’s 1,514 scrimmage yards in 2014. Overall, his 991 rushing yards through Week 10 are more than 15 NFL teams have totaled all season.
“You know, I always knew that he(Cook) was a terrific runner,” Zimmer said. “But, I think the other two things, how hard he runs and that the first person typically doesn’t tackle him, has been really impressive. And then the other part is when he gets the ball in space, people can’t catch him. He just has that extra gear.”
With Cook and Alexander Mattison carrying the load for Minnesota, life for Vikings QB Kirk Cousins is good. Many expected Cook to have a big year, and after 10 games, he is doing just that.
