Vikings' Dalvin Cook has surgery to repair injured shoulder

The team said in a statement the running back is expected to be ready for the start of the 2023 season.

February 15, 2023 at 12:30PM
Dalvin Cook was injured on this play against the Lions in September. (Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook had surgery on Tuesday morning to address the left shoulder injury that's bothered him in recent years and caused him to play most of the 2022 season wearing a harness.

"This morning Dalvin Cook underwent successful surgery to address a shoulder injury sustained over the past few seasons," the Vikings said in a statement. "Dalvin is expected to make a full recovery prior to the start of the regular season."

Cook has dealt with a history of shoulder issues, and dislocated his left shoulder for the second time in less than a year during a Sept. 25 win over the Lions. He'd dislocated the same shoulder in a loss to the 49ers the previous November.

After injuring his shoulder against the Lions, Cook wore a harness for the remainder of the regular season, playing all of the Vikings' games for the first time in his career. He ran for 1,173 yards on 264 carries, making the Pro Bowl for the fourth consecutive season.

Cook is scheduled to make a $10.4 million base salary in 2023, and count for $14.1 million against the salary cap. He has $2 million of his base salary currently guaranteed against injury, and the figure would become fully guaranteed if he remains on the Vikings' roster as of March 17.

about the writer

about the writer

Ben Goessling

Sports reporter

Ben Goessling has covered the Vikings since 2012, first at the Pioneer Press and ESPN before becoming the Minnesota Star Tribune's lead Vikings reporter in 2017. He was named one of the top NFL beat writers by the Pro Football Writers of America in 2024, after honors in the AP Sports Editors and National Headliner Awards contests in 2023.

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