Dallas Cowboys running back Dalvin Cook is lined up to make his season debut Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said the four-time Pro Bowl selection was signed to the team’s practice squad on Aug. 28 and is currently on track.
“Dalvin is ready,” McCarthy said Friday. “I really like his effort. I think he’s definitely going above and beyond in his communication and understanding (of the offense).”
Dallas (3-3) could certainly use this boost, as they rank last in the NFL in rushing yards per game (77.2).
Cook could be on the field for the Cowboys on Sunday, but the team will be without star edge rusher Micah Parsons (ankle) and cornerback Daron Brand (foot) for the game against the 49ers (3-4). He was excluded from participating.
Parsons has missed the past two games, and Brand has yet to play this season.
Cook, 29, has rushed for 6,207 yards and 47 touchdowns in 88 NFL games (73 starts) over seven seasons since being drafted in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2017. He also had 236 receptions for 1,872 yards and five scores.
Cook enjoyed four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons on the ground for the Vikings from 2019 to 2022 before suffering a setback due to shoulder surgery. He set career highs in 2020 with 1,557 rushing yards and 16 points on the ground in just 14 games (all starts).
Minnesota released Cook in June 2023, and last season, Cook played a disappointing 15 games with the New York Jets. He had just 214 yards rushing before being sent down in early January.
The Baltimore Ravens acquired Cook, who gained 23 yards on eight carries in a playoff win over the Houston Texans. He did not play in the following week’s AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
–Field level media
