The compass for free agent running back Dalvin Cook is pointing toward the AFC East.
Cook will visit the New York Jets this weekend. And he also has his eye on Miami as a potential landing spot with the Dolphins, he told NFL Network on Friday.
Cook, who turns 28 next month, was born in Miami and played his high school ball in the city before moving on to Florida State. He was linked with the Dolphins following his release from the Minnesota Vikings on June 9 but a deal hasn’t materialized.
“Playing in my hometown would mean so much for me, for my community, for my family, for just everything around,” Cook told NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” Friday morning. “It’s a Cinderella story. It’s just something that’ll bring so much joy to the city, and I know what I can bring to the city. So it’ll be big for the city and myself.”
For now, the focus is on his trip to Jets headquarters in Florham Park, N.J. Cook potentially could pair with his former NFC North rival, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and the idea intrigues him.
“It’s a unique situation because I feel like they’re building something special over there,” Cook said. “You always want to be around a great QB. You always want to be around somebody that you can pick his brain and learn from. A-Rod’s a four-time MVP. Being around a guy like that, you can learn a lot more and develop as a player.”
Even though Miami remains a dream, the reality is that Cook could sign with the Jets soon.
“I want to be part of something special as a player,” he told NFL Network. “And I want to add to whatever they got going on. I think the possibility is high, right now, of getting things done,” he said on the odds he winds up in New York.
Cook is a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He had shoulder surgery on Feb. 14, the latest in a series of major shoulder issues that include a dislocation and a torn labrum.
He was set to earn $11 million in 2023 with the Vikings. Cook rushed for 5,024 yards and scored 43 touchdowns the past four seasons.
–Field Level Media