Vikings’ Dalvin Cook undergoes surgery for shoulder injury he’s been dealing with since 2019, per report

Dalvin Cook underwent surgery to repair the shoulder that he broke late in the 2019 season. Despite the injury, Cook has been selected to each of the past four Pro Bowls while becoming one of the NFL‘s most productive running backs. 

“Dalvin has been absolutely dominant and we cannot wait until September,” Cook’s agency said regarding his surgery, via ESPN.  

Injuries limited Cook to just 15 games during his first two seasons in Minnesota. Since then, the former second-round pick has been a consensus Pro Bowler. He’s gained 6,423 total yards since the start of the 2019 season and has scored 46 touchdowns over that span. 

Cook, who switched his number from 33 to 4 before the start of the 2022 season, ran for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns this past season. He also caught 39 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns while helping the Vikings win the NFC North division. 

Depth, including at running back, has been one of the concerns regarding the Vikings, who were upset by the Giants in the wild card round this past January. With that said, one would expect that Ty Chandler, a fifth-round pick in last April’s draft, will likely receive more playing time in 2023 in order to keep Cook fresh for a possible playoff run. Chandler, who ran for nearly 1,100 yards during his final season in college, missed significant time this past season with a thumb injury.