Dalvin Cook explains why he has 'everything to prove' with Cowboys

Dalvin Cook isn't worried about his down year or decline in production during the 2023 season. Following his first practice as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, the 29-year-old running back made it known he believes he's still the same player who made four consecutive Pro Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings from 2019-22.

As David Moore of The Dallas Morning News revealed, though, Cook isn't taking a "prove-it" approach on the field but instead feels he has "everything to prove" for another reason — the birth of his son, who just turned one.

“Nah, my resume speaks for itself to be honest,” Cook said. “I just had a son. He turned one a week ago. I have everything to prove to him, to be honest. I owe the world to him.”

Cook isn't wrong that his resume speaks for itself. His 2023 campaign with the New York Jets — in which he rushed for a career-low 214 yards on 67 attempts — appears to be an outlier. After all, when the former Florida State star signed with the Jets, he was just one season removed from racking up 1,173 yards on the ground with eight rushing touchdowns while averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. Those numbers came in what proved to be his final season in Minnesota.

By joining the Cowboys, Cook can push his way up in a running back group expected to take on a committee approach that features Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. And if he can show signs of still being the same player he was with the Vikings, the Cowboys may be hard-pressed to not give Cook a solid chunk of the workload in 2024.