The Minnesota Vikings parted ways with star running back Dalvin Cook recently. Cook enjoyed a rock-solid career in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but his tenure there is done now. The former Florida State standout might be heading back down to the Sunshine State. And already, his replacement is noticing stark changes.
Alexander Mattison is likely to assume RB1 duties in Minnesota with Cook gone. The former Boise State standout has big shoes to fill for an offense that sometimes leaned on the now-former Viking. And already, change has begun to take shape around him, he confessed to SiriusXM Radio.
Asked about his upcoming role with the team, he said, “It definitely changes things. I like to go into every season preparing like I’m the back. That’s kind of where my mindset has always been; that’s kind of where we, as a running back group, held ourselves to that standard.”
.@Vikings RB Alexander Mattison discussed how he is approaching the 2023 season in Minnesota and what Dalvin Cook has meant to his career…#Vikings | #SKOL | @AlexMattison22 pic.twitter.com/1mHbiemasJ
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) June 22, 2023
Mattison later expressed gratitude for Dalvin and his presence over the duration of his career. He also admitted that he didn’t think he’d be back with the team, so he considered his status a “blessing.”
The Vikings will be an interesting team this season. For all intents and purposes, with Aaron Rodgers’ departure, the division is likely theirs to seize. They’ll combat a team in Detroit that people have been liking, and maybe a revamped Chicago team, but the Vikings hold the power. So we’ll see if Mattison and the Vikes can deliver without their former star this year.
[SiriusXM]
