Zimmer’s Compliments to the Cook: Vikings May See Dalvin Report to Camp After All

By Ameer95 |

Updated: Jul 25, 2020

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer spoke to a bevy of reporters Saturday on a conference call. He addressed his recent 3-year extension, handed down by the Vikings. Maybe the most interesting piece of information Zimmer provided to the media, however, was his belief that Dalvin Cook would report for training camp on Tuesday morning, even after the Vikings running back threatened to hold out. Why was Zimmer so sure? Because Dalvin told him, personally.

Zimmer said he expects Dalvin Cook to report to camp on Tuesday in spite of his camp pledging a holdout back in June until her reaches a contract extension because Cook told him he would be.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) July 25, 2020

Not in Cook’s Favor

Cook wants to be among top running back with a new contract extension. This is his main reason for threatening to hold out in the first place. He appears to have no leverage over the Vikings under the current language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. If he doesn’t report on Tuesday, he will not receive an accrued season on his contract. This would make him a Restricted Free Agent next year instead of an Unrestricted Free Agent, as agreed on in the recent CBA. Those details can be found here.

For the moment, we still don’t know if Cook will actually show up on Tuesday. He did previously commit to holding out, and Coach Zimmer has a history of declaring to reporters that injured players would play, only to have them not play on Sunday. But all signs point to Dalvin showing up with or without a new deal.

Other Tidbits from Zim ( Watch Full Conference Call HERE)

1.) Zimmer mentioned how important it will be to get Vikings rookies up to speed quickly at training camp. This is especially important because there is no preseason and limited padded practices. Zimmer said he might be more inclined to keep some rookies on the roster who might not be ready right away.

2.) Zim said he never lost doubt that he would receive his extension. He also noted how the pandemic, as well as the nature of negotiations, likely caused the delay.

3.) Zimmer said he doesn’t know if Vikings GM Rick Spielman will receive an extension yet. He advocated for him to receive one, stating how great a person and front office employee he is.

4.) Mike Zimmer noted that this season will be like no other, in the midst of the COVID pandemic. But it won’t be the first time he has had to handle adversity throughout his tenure as coach

5.) The head coach said FA DE Everson Griffen called him to congratulate him on his new extension. Zim said he would love to find a way to have Griffen back with the Vikings for the 2020 season.

Zimmer also chatted with Paul Allen (KFAN) today. You can see that interview here:

UPDATE: We may have a little controversy on our hands. According to Dalvin’s agent there was no conversation between Zimmer and Dalvin. There will no doubt be an update later this week.

Dalvin Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller: “First, congrats to Coach Zimmer on his well-earned extension. However, Dalvin has not spoken to him in regards to reporting to camp. We are unsure why this was said. I hope Dalvin can continue to play a major role in the Vikings future success.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 25, 2020