Dalvin Cook hits rock bottom as Jets' losing woes threaten to close out 2023 with 1-3 skid

Dalvin Cook has been through arguably the toughest year of his career. When the running back became free from the Vikings last offseason, some expected him to find work quickly.

However, the wait took longer than many expected but he managed to find a place with the New York Jets. Fast forward to Week 17, however, and he has now hit a new low.

In Thursday's Week 17 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, Cook spent the entirety of the game on the sideline, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com via Pro Football Talk. It was the first time of his career that he dressed for a game and didn't take one step on the football field. In his place was Izzy Abanikanda, a rookie.

Abanikanda logged two carries for three yards in the contest and Breece Hall, the leading man, rushed 13 times for 84 yards.

The de facto absence from Thursday's primetime rematch of the Hall of Fame game earlier this year sets a dark tone for Cook's future, not just with the New York Jets, but with the NFL. Cook has rushed 67 times for 214 yards, averaging 3.2 yards per carry. He has not scored a rushing touchdown this season.

The decline is stark for a running back who just last season had earned 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns with the Minnesota Vikings. In terms of total production, he was trending up, earning 14 more rushing yards in 2022 than in 2021 and two more rushing touchdowns.

Telling stat explains Dalvin Cook's decline

Dalvin Cook at Buffalo Bills v New York Jets

However, Dalvin Cook's story makes something very clear about how NFL teams evaluate running backs: yards per carry is king. Total yardage and rushing touchdowns aside, the only clear indication of decline before 2023 was his eroding yards per carry stat.

In 2020, he earned five yards per carry. In 2021, he earned 4.7 yards per carry. Then last season, he earned 4.4 yards per carry. This year, he had just a 3.2 yards per carry average.

This season marks three straight years of decline, likely leaving NFL teams assuming a further decline from the back in 2024, should they get his hands on them.

With 2023 all but wrapped up as a lost season for the running back, attention turns towards winning an opportunity to compete for a role on a team in 2024.