2 Big-Name Former Vikings Struggled with New Teams
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings were criticized by some and praised by others for ixnaying several expensive veterans from their roster this offseason, promising to become faster, younger, and more affordable.
2 Big-Name Former Vikings Struggled with New Teams
Of course, Minnesota lost its Week 1 contest to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, so it has zero bragging rights about anything to date.
However, two big-name former Vikings did not get off the schneid with new teams in the last few days — Adam Thielen with the Carolina Panthers and Dalvin Cook of the New York Jets.
Thielen’s Panthers lost on the road to the maybe-good Atlanta Falcons, 24-10. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young played terribly in his NFL maiden voyage, tabulating a mind-bogglingly low 14.5 QBR rating from ESPN. That’s what happens to most rookie signal-callers in their debut, so Young gets a clean slate, pretty much indefinitely.
On the other hand, and perhaps because Young didn’t perform well, Thielen barely registered in Week 1. Young targeted the ex-Viking twice, and Thielen hauled in two catches for 12 yards. The 33-year-old signed a three-year, $25 million contract in March, on deck as the Panthers WR1.
The 2023 regular season still has a long way to go, but 2 receptions for 12 yards are not WR1 activity and, in fact, borders on a WR4’s contribution. Next up for Thielen and the Panthers? At home versus the New Orleans Saints, a team that currently ranks eighth leaguewide per defensive DVOA — and a squad that Thielen knows intimately.
Similarly, former Vikings halfback Dalvin Cook failed to catch fire on a wild night in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Securing a win, the Jets beat the Buffalo Bills, a team employing Cook’s brother, James, while losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the season to a torn Achilles.
Cook ran the football 13 times for 33 yards and a measly 2.5 yards per carry. His teammate, running back Breece Hall, looked like the 2020 version of Cook, gashing the Bills otherwise stingy defense for 127 rushing yards on 10 carries.
New QB1 Zach Wilson also found Cook thrice through the air, where he tallied 26 receiving yards. All told, Cook touched the pigskin 16 times for 59 yards, or 3.6 yards per touch, which is less than ideal.
Thielen and Cook were absolutely beloved in Minnesota, so Vikings fans will vociferously hope both men’s luck turns around in the coming weeks. Yet, after one week, Thielen and Cook very vividly did not look worth the investment, as Thielen was scheduled to inflict a $19.9 million cap hit against the Vikings books in 2023, and Cook was on tap for $14.4 million.
Minnesota replaced Thielen with rookie Jordan Addison in April, and he promptly scored a touchdown in the loss to Tampa Bay. Alexander Mattison replaced Cook, and he scored, too, on Sunday.
The Vikings take on Thielen and the Panthers in 19 days.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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