By nearly every measure, Dalvin Cook was a top-10 back in 2019, and there’s an argument to be made that he may have even been a top-five back. So when we try to project what kind of money he’ll make on a new deal, we must look at what top tier running backs are making.
As or right now, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot is the highest paid back in the league, as he signed a new six-year $90 million deal just days before the start of the 2019 season. That’s an average salary of approximately $15 million.
After Elliot, we have Todd Gurley with a $14.4 million average salary and then Le’Veon Bell with a $13.2 million average salary.
While Cook seems primed to continue on an upward trajectory, he hasn’t exactly earned that kind of money yet. Based on his production and some of the concerns surrounding his health, Cook will likely slot somewhere in the 5-8 range of highest paid backs.
This means a new contract for Cook will probably have him making roughly $7.5-$7.8 million per year with a total value of about $32-$35 million. That would put Cook slightly ahead of Saquon Barkley as the sixth-highest paid back in football.
The Vikings are a bit cap strapped as they head into this offseason, but if they decide to part ways with some of their veterans, they’ll certainly have enough cap space to hand their star back an extension.
