Former Vikings RB Dalvin Cook agrees to deal with the New York Jets, reportedly for 1-year, $8.6 million

Dalvin Cook has found his new team.

The former Minnesota Vikings star agreed to join the New York Jets, the team officially announced Tuesday. Cook's deal is reportedly for one-year and worth $8.6 million deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Cook has spent his entire career with the Vikings, who selected him in the second round of the 2017 draft. He racked up 5,993 rushing yards and 47 touchdowns while boasting a healthy 4.7 yards per carry since entering the league. He made the Pro Bowl the past four seasons while rushing for at least 1,000 yards each year.

Cook ran for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns last season and helped lead the Vikings to a playoff berth for the first time since the 2019 season.

The decision to join the Jets caps off a summer of speculation for one of the better running backs in the NFL. The Vikings released Cook in June after failing to find a trade partner for him. Cook signed a five-year, $63 million contract extension with the team in 2020, though only $2 million of his salary was guaranteed in 2023. He would've counted for $14.1 million against the cap if he remained on the roster.

Since his release, Cook has been linked to all four AFC East teams. He said weeks after he parted with the Vikings that he preferred to play for his hometown Miami Dolphins.

Instead, Cook will join the Jets and team up with newly acquired quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Cook visited the team officially last month, and he should fit well in their backfield. Running back Breece Hall is recovering from an ACL injury sustained late last season, though it’s unclear if he’ll be ready to go for Week 1. Michael Carter is listed as the team's second running back on the depth chart, though he had just 402 rushing yards and three touchdowns last season, his second in the league.

Cook should be another solid piece for the Jets, who have had all eyes on them this offseason since landing Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers. For a team with legitimate championship aspirations — or, more simply, a goal to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010 — Cook will add a much-needed veteran presence to the Jets’ ground game. The Jets are now the first team in NFL history to add both a quarterback and a running back in the same offseason after the duo reached the Pro Bowl in four of the past five seasons, according to ESPN.

The Jets, who went 7-10 last season under coach Robert Saleh, will open their season Sept. 11 against the Buffalo Bills.