Can Vikings running backs threaten in the passing game?
One of the reasons Vikings fans are worried about the team extending Cook is because of the money Christian McCaffrey received this offseason.
The Panthers gave McCaffrey a four-year, $64 million extension recently. While Cook and McCaffrey are both good players, they are very different backs.
McCaffrey totaled 1,005 receiving yards in 2020. Cook led Vikings running backs in receiving yards with 519 in total. He was second on the team in receiving, but now that Stefon Diggs — the Vikings’ leading receiver from 2019 — is gone, Cook will likely have to step up and perform slightly better in the passing game.
There’s also the possibility of Mike Boone or Alexander Mattison becoming backs who are a little more active in the receiving game. If any of those three could step up and become bigger threats on screens and shorter routes, opposing linebackers will have trouble with the Vikings offense.