Recently, the NFL MVP has typically gone to quarterbacks. In fact, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson was the last player to win the award and not play quarterback, doing so in 2012.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell tiered out his MVP candidates in a recent article. In his running back tier, another Vikings player was tabbed as his favorite. Barnwell wrote about Dalvin Cook here:
“My favorite from this group: Cook. Henry was my favorite here a few weeks ago, but I keep thinking about the workload he endured last season, the change at offensive coordinator and the addition of Julio Jones. The chances of Henry getting 379 carries again in 2021, even in a 17-game season, are slim. Cook plays for a coach in Mike Zimmer who would happily run the Vikings standout into the ground, although injuries have been an ever-present thorn in Cook’s side.”
Though injuries have been a concern with Cook in the past, the Vikings running back has played in 14 games in each of the last two seasons. He only missed one game due to injury in 2020. With a revamped defense, Minnesota could get more wins than it did this past season. That could pave the way for Cook to win MVP if he keeps up his current production rate.
