With no sign of Dalvin Cook, it looks like Alexander Mattison will lead Vikings’ ground game

Dane Mizutani, Pioneer Press
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Ever since Alexander Mattison has been a member of the Vikings, he has shared a backfield with Dalvin Cook.

Never mind they both play running back, and thus, have competed hard against each other for touches. They have remained joined at the hip around TCO Performance Center, forming a brotherly bond that will more than likely span the duration of their respective NFL careers and beyond.

That has made this offseason particularly awkward. Effectively, when Mattison signed a 2-year, $7 million contract extension with the Vikings a couple of months ago, he simultaneously made his good friend extremely expendable.

As much as Cook has produced at a high level during his years with the Vikings, he carries a $14 million cap hit. If the team cuts Cook after June 1, they will save $9 million in cap space, which can be used to improve other parts of the roster.

That might explain why Cook has not been spotted around the practice facility this spring. He was conspicuously absent on Tuesday as dozens of players descended upon TCO Performance Center for organized team activities.

That made Mattison the No. 1 running back in team drills. Asked if he has kept in touch with Cook over the past couple of months, Mattison nodded his head up an down.

“Yeah,” he said. “That’s my guy. We still FaceTime here and there. He’s doing good.”

Though he wouldn’t entertain many answers related to the topic, Mattison admitted that it was weird not having Cook around.

“We’ve been in the backfield together for four years, so of course I’m used to that,” Mattison said. “It’s part of the process. Some guys still aren’t here. Those guys will be joining us soon.”

That statement is true for veterans like safety Harrison Smith and linebacker Jordan Hicks, both of whom restructured their contracts this offseason to stay with the Vikings. That statement might not be true for Cook, who could be on his way out sooner rather than later.

If that’s the case, the 24-year-old Mattison would become an unquestioned starter for the first time in his NFL career. He sidestepped the question when asked if that played into his decision to sign a new contract with the Vikings this offseason.

“There was a lot that played into it,” he said. “The biggest thing was loving it here.”

No matter how much Mattison loves the Twin Cities, it’s hard to believe he would have agreed to come back had he not been promised more playing time. Nonetheless, he wouldn’t get into the specifics of the negotiating process, choosing instead to vaguely reference conversations he had with his agent along the way.

“I’m happy,” Mattison said. “I love it here. I always told people I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else. It’s an unbelievable organization.”

There are a lot of things that need to be ironed out over the next few months as head coach Kevin O’Connell gets everyone ready for next season. That said, if Mattison is the No. 1 running back, he is more than up for the challenge.

“Just excited to continue to grow with the team and continue to do the work,” Mattison said. “It’s an amazing feeling to be out here with my brothers.”

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