After going 13-4 and finishing first in the NFC North last season, the Minnesota Vikings will look different this fall.
No. 2 wide receiver Adam Thielen departed and is now a member of the Carolina Panthers, and on Thursday, running back Dalvin Cook was released.
Many expect Cook to join the Miami Dolphins, a team that has been rumored to be interested in him for a while.
Minnesota’s new starter in the backfield will be 24-year-old Alexander Mattison, and in six career starts, he has done well.
Alexander Mattison in 6 career starts
693 total yards
5 TD pic.twitter.com/1MNjZaxeiT— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) June 8, 2023
Mattison has played a total of 59 games over his four NFL seasons, and he has a total of 1,670 rushing yards while averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
He likely won’t turn out to be as good as Cook, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last four seasons, but the Vikings are hoping he will be enough of a threat to prevent them from becoming predictable.
Of course, the Vikings are by and large a passing team, as they ranked third in passing attempts and 28th in rushing attempts in 2022.
They boast Justin Jefferson, who is arguably the best wideout in the game today, and he put up 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
The NFC North will be a little more competitive this fall, as the Detroit Lions are on the rise and being picked by some to win the division.
In addition, the Chicago Bears have a few new weapons, such as wide receiver D.J. Moore and running back D’Onta Foreman, and they won’t be pushovers.
NEXT: Fans React To Vikings' Decision To Release Dalvin Cook
