January 20, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens Dalvin Cook (31) runs the ball against Houston Texans linebacker Blake Cashman (53) and safety DeAndre Houston-Carson (30) during the fourth quarter of a 2024 AFC Divisional Round game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Dallas Cowboys running back Dalvin Cook lines up to make his season debut against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night in Santa Clara, California.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy noted that the four-time Pro Bowl selection is now getting up to speed after signing with the team’s practice squad on Aug. 28.
“Dalvin is ready,” McCarthy said Friday. “I really like the work he’s putting in. I think he’s definitely crossed the threshold of communication and understanding (on offense).”
Dallas (3-3) could certainly use a boost, as they rank last in the NFL in rushing yards per game (77.2).
While Cook could be on the field for the Cowboys on Sunday, the team ruled out star edge rusher Micah Parsons (ankle) and cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) for the game against the 49ers (3-4).
Parsons has missed the last two games and Bland has yet to play this season.
Cook, 29, has thrown for 6,207 yards and 47 touchdowns in 88 NFL games (73 starts) over seven seasons since being a second-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2017. He also had 236 receptions for 1,872 yards and five scores.
Cook had four straight 1,000-yard seasons on the field for the Vikings from 2019-22 before shoulder surgery derailed him. He posted career highs of 1,557 rushing yards and 16 scores on the ground in just 14 games (all starts) in 2020.
Minnesota released him in June 2023, and Cook played in a disappointing 15 games for the New York Jets last season. He rushed for just 214 yards before being released in early January.
The Baltimore Ravens selected Cook, and he rushed for 23 yards on eight carries during a playoff win over the Houston Texans. He sat out the following week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
–Field level media
