Dalvin Cook made calculated financial decision in leaving Jets

Jan 23, 2020; Kissimmee, Florida, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cooke (33) poses with NFL 100th anniversary gloves during NFC practice at ESPN Wide World of Sports. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dalvin Cook has joined the Baltimore Ravens after being placed on waivers by the New York Jets, and the move came with a calculated financial risk.

Cook would have received $270,000 had he remained on the Jets’ roster for Week 18, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Instead, he will make $60,000 for the final week of the regular season.

There is upside for Cook, however. If Cook is elevated to the Ravens’ roster and the team makes the Super Bowl, he will wind up making $258,000 in game checks through the playoffs. That number would increase to $333,000 if they were to win the Super Bowl. Anything short of those outcomes would mean that Cook lost money by leaving the Jets.

Of course, that is a tradeoff Cook is willing to make. He was barely playing for the Jets, much to his frustration, and the team was not going to the playoffs. If he loses a few thousand dollars but gets the chance to contribute to a Super Bowl contender, that would seem like an easy choice for him to make.