RB Dalvin Cook eyes return to form on Cowboys practice squad

FRISCO, Texas — In 2022, Dalvin Cook ran for 1,173 yards and 8 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings and was named to the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight season. Last year with the New York Jets, he ran for 214 yards on 67 carries with no touchdowns.

The newest member of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad believes he is more the former than the latter.

“I got it,” Cook said after his first practice with the Cowboys. “It’s right here.”

Cook would not label his year with the Jets as a disappointment. He signed during training camp after spending a good part of the offseason recovering from shoulder surgery. He believes a large portion of his numbers falling had to do with the same reason why the Jets struggled as a whole: the torn Achilles suffered by quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“I don’t really want to speak on the situation, but when Aaron went down on play four, everything was just a little bit different,” Cook said. “There wasn’t any emergency plan. … Aaron went down play four, and it was just kind of like, ‘What [do] we do?’ That’s just what it was.”

Cook joined the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad after his release from the Jets and was added to the 53-man roster for the playoffs. He had eight carries for 23 yards in the divisional round against the Houston Texans.

“When I got to Baltimore I was ready to go, I was ready to get the ball however many times they needed me to,” Cook said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get it that much.”

The Cowboys considered signing Cook earlier in the offseason but a deal did not get done until after the final cuts. Cook visited with the club this week and officially signed Thursday.

“Personally, I’m a fan,” said coach Mike McCarthy, who played against Cook as the head coach of the Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. “I’ve seen him run down the sidelines from the opposite side of the field too many times. Just a hell of a player.”

The Cowboys have Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke on the 53-man roster and plan to go with a running back by committee approach.

“My years in Minnesota it was Dalvin, Dalvin, Dalvin, give him the ball. Now, just a little adjustment,” Cook said. “Help everybody and be productive. That’s just my mindset. I’m going to be ready to go, being around Zeke, I can obviously learn a lot from him. He’s older than me. Just soaking up the game, still. Learning from the young guys, too. Just being a part of this group, I feel like we’re going to push each other.”

On the practice squad, the Cowboys can elevate Cook three times to the gameday roster before they would need add him to the 53-man roster. At 29, Cook doesn’t feel like he has anything to prove.

“My résumé speaks for itself to be honest,” he said. “But I just had a son (Dalvin Jr.). He turned 1 a week ago. I have everything to prove to him, to be honest. I owe the world to him. Every day I put on my pads, every day I wake up, that’s my why.”