Vikings' Twitter move sparks Dalvin Cook trade rumors

From left to right, the banner now pictures Alexander Mattison, wide receiver (and AP Offensive Player of the Year) Justin Jefferson, Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson and veteran Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Mattison has spent his first four NFL seasons as Cook's backup and recorded career lows rushing attempts (74), rushing yards (283) and touches (89) last season, though he made the most of his opportunities with a career-best five rushing touchdowns.

One of Mattison's best seasons came in 2021 when Cook missed four games due to injury. Mattison ended that year with career highs in rushing attempts (134), rushing yards (491), targets (39), receptions (32) and receiving yards (228) while filling in as the starter in each of Cook's absences.

While Mattison only turns 25 in June, Cook will be 28 in August, and he's coming off a 2022 campaign where posted a career-low 4.4 yards per carry. The latter would obviously be a significantly greater cost to keep on the team as well, with Cook carrying a $14 million cap hit and Mattison coming in at $2.4M.