Garrett Wilson’s glee over the Dalvin Cook possibility reveals respect
Hey, it’s pretty obvious at this point that Garrett Wilson‘s mother did not raise any stupid children, ya know.
Speaking with ESPN’s Rich Cimini at his own youth football camp in New Jersey, the Ohio State product couldn’t hide his glee when asked about the possibility of a New York Jets-Dalvin Cook union.
So about those Dalvin Cook rumors … Garrett Wilson weighs in. #Jets pic.twitter.com/Toi004fmtg
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) June 25, 2023
Wilson, 22, glowed at the idea of the veteran running back joining the likes of Breece Hall and Michael Carter in Aaron Rodgers’s backfield.
“I was a Florida State fan growing up, so I’d love to add someone of that talent,” Wilson told Cimini on Sunday.
Cook, 27, is suddenly a free agent after the Minnesota Vikings released him earlier in June. Many of the angles surrounding the contract termination revolve around the Vikings’ salary cap issues, some of which are led by quarterback Kirk Cousins’s massive price tag.
Minnesota recently restructured the quarterback’s contract, but it could not go on with Cook’s salary hit that came as a result of his first post-rookie contract extension.
In 2022, Cook ran for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns on 264 carries, good enough for a workmanlike 4.4 yards per attempt. He interestingly played in every regular season game—a feat Cook failed to reach over his first five professional seasons.
“The front office is going to make the right decision, and [Cook] has to do what’s best for him. I don’t know; I’m just speaking on my love for him and how he plays the game,” Wilson added.
“I would love to play with someone like that.”
The rumor mill remains blazing hot around the Jets-Cook summer stove, but Joe Douglas’s team isn’t the only squad in on the action.
The AFC East rival Buffalo Bills—who currently employ Cook’s younger brother, James Cook—has also been rumored to be interested. Naturally, the Florida-born Cook is also fetching interest from the Miami Dolphins.
In terms of football depth chart fit, hey, he’s a running back. Gone are the days of the workhorse that featured Walter Payton or Barry Sanders. In spite of employing an excellent duo (Breece Hall and Michael Carter) and an even deeper trio (Zonovan Knight) or foursome (Israel Abanikanda), Dalvin Cook’s talent demands a good hard look into the possibility.
If Garrett Wilson had his druthers, Dalvin Cook—a professional he clearly respects—will head toward Florham Park on the next flight.
After all, it’s as clear as day that Garrett Wilson’s upbringing resembles “The Honeymooners'” Ed Norton’s, as neither the New York Jets wide receiver nor his siblings were raised with “stupid” in the conversation.
The kid respects the vet, he wants the vet, and because he’s a smart one, he hopes to see Dalvin Cook join the New York Jets soon.