Alexander Mattison Is Ready

Last season, Cook showed how truly special he can be but he’s not necessarily the only running back on the Vikings roster who runs the ball effectively.

Their backup rusher, Alexander Mattison has been extraordinarily good despite only getting limited opportunities. The former Boise State running back recorded an average of 4.6 yards per carry in his rookie season, which ranks slightly better than what Cook posted in 2019.

Plus, Alexander has three more years of club control as he won’t become a free agent until 2023. Having a talented No.2 option certainly doesn’t help Cook’s demands of getting a new contract when Zimmer’s run-first offense can still thrive in a similar way by using Mattison.

Relatively similar, the Chargers ran out Austin Ekeler with Gordon holding out last season and their running attack saw just mild regression. The front office will definitely weigh the pros and cons of ponying up the money for a Cook extension but with the blueprint already laid out based on how the Chargers handled it, things might not be looking very promising for Cook.