Kirk Cousins Backs ‘Stable’ Vikings O-Line To Thrive Without Cook
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connel and quarterback Kirk Cousins have backed RB Alex Mattison to replace the departed Dalvin Cook.
Minnesota released Cook this offseason, as well as WR Adam Thielen, LB Eric Hendricks and pass rusher Za’Darius Smith.
Alex Mattison’s 2022 actually featured a career-low 89 touches. However, this coincided with Dalvin Cook’s first full NFL season.
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“I feel really good about our running back room, and Alex Mattison is a huge reason why,” O’Connell said.
“He’s proven that he can, whether over the past few years when he’s stepped in there and handling a really good workload and producing, and also just in our short-term together, his ability to handle the roles and responsibilities of that position in our offense. I feel great about where Alex is at. The next step in his career is obviously just a little bit more consistent opportunities, which obviously we hope to provide for him.”
“I think people you’ve played a lot of snaps with — like a Dalvin, like an Adam — can be a little more difficult, but you can also point to some guys who may not have been back that are, like a Garrett [Bradbury] or an Alex [Mattison],†said Kirk Cousins.
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“So that’s also exciting to have a lot of stability there, too. The O-line is a group I’m very familiar with. Even losing Adam, you look at the receivers and you feel like you’re throwing to guys you know, with the tight ends. So, there’s some consistency there, too, and it’ll always be that way. But I think we’ve got an experienced group on offense, which is a real positive.”
However, Cousins isn’t taking the loss of Cook as serenely as he would suggest if his comments are anything to go by.
“I’m excited to see where he goes, I’ll always be pulling for him, and I’m kind of optimistically hoping we’ll get him back — who knows,” Kirk Cousins added. “But maybe there’s an outside chance. We’ll see.”
