Dallas Cowboys Sign Veteran Running Back Dalvin Cook

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys have announced the signing of veteran running back Dalvin Cook, as confirmed by his agency to ESPN.

Cook, who visited the Cowboys on Tuesday, is set to join the team’s practice squad. Sources indicate that his workout went well, and he was in good shape during his visit.

The Cowboys’ current 53-man roster already includes running backs Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn, as well as fullback Hunter Luepke. As a member of the practice squad, Cook will have the opportunity to be called up to the team for their season opener against the New York Giants on September 8.

Players on the practice squad can be elevated to the 46-man game-day roster three times, but after that, they must be added to the 53-man roster to remain active.

Last season, Cook played for the New York Jets, finishing with 214 rushing yards across 15 games. He later joined the Baltimore Ravens and contributed 23 rushing yards on eight carries during their divisional round victory.

Dallas is likely to adopt a committee approach for their running back position, with Cook joining Ezekiel Elliott, who is returning to the team after a season away. While Elliott did not see any preseason action, he ramped up his training at the end of camp.

In the past five seasons, Cook has accumulated 5,238 rushing yards, ranking fourth in the NFL, surpassing Elliott, and trailing only Derrick Henry, Nick Chubb, and Josh Jacobs.

Drafted in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2017, Cook is now the third-leading rusher in franchise history and had four consecutive seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards from 2019 to 2022. His standout year was in 2020 when he rushed for 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns.

In addition to his rushing achievements, Cook has also made 236 career receptions for 1,872 yards and five touchdowns. He will reunite with former Vikings teammates linebacker Anthony Barr and defensive tackle Shamar Stephen in Dallas.