Star Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook announced that he would not be taking part in the team’s offseason programs until he got a new contract that is fitting for a top running back. Cook’s agent is trying to base his client’s negotiations on Christian McCaffrey’s new deal, which was a four-year, $64 million contract. This is good news in many ways for the Green Bay Packers who are scheduled to face the Vikings in their season opener on September 13 in Minnesota.

But while a prolonged holdout by Cook could make things easier for the Packers, there are negative implications for Green Bay as well. Here is a look at the positive and negative fallout from the Cook holdout for the Packers:

1. Plus: The Vikings Offseason Is Disrupted

Cook was a big part of the Minnesota offense in 2019. In 14 games, he gained 1,135 yards rushing, scored 13 touchdowns and caught 53 passes for another 519 yards for a total of 1,654 yards gained from scrimmage.

The Florida State alum is entering his fourth NFL season and will turn 25 this August. He has been a catalyst for the Vikings offensive success. When Cook gains 100 yards or more from scrimmage in a game, the Vikings are 12-3. When he gains fewer than 100 yards from scrimmage in a game, Minnesota has been 6-9-1.

With a limited quarterback like Kirk Cousins, having a rushing threat like Cook makes a big difference in the effectiveness of the Minnesota offense.

Cook is scheduled to earn $1.33 million in 2020 under his current, the final year of his rookie contract. He has now indicated he will not participate in the team’s program until he is paid top dollar for a running back.

Once training camp does start, the Vikings players and coaches will be asked repeated questions about Cook’s status, what his absence means for the offense and how the team will get by without him. This will simply be a distraction for the team when they’re trying to conduct business as usual come July and August.

In an offseason full of unusual occurrences, having this further distraction cannot be good for the Vikings.

2. Positive: Cook May Not Be Ready for the Opener

Yes, it’s too early to say right now, but obviously, if Cook’s holdout continues through part or most of training camp, the Vikings’ star running back may not be in proper football shape when the Packers invade Minnesota for the season opener.

This offseason already had OTAs and minicamps canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. If Cook misses a significant chunk of training camp, it will be tougher and tougher for him to get into football shape in time for Week 1.

Cook can work out all he wants, lift weights on his own, do agility drills and prepare for the season but it’s not the same as getting your body in football shape by taking hits in practice and preseason games and preparing yourself for the grind that is the NFL season.

If Cook isn’t in football shape, he will likely be less effective, especially early in the season. He may also be limited as to how many snaps he can take. That puts more pressure on Cousins and the rest of the Minnesota offense, which was supposed to be built around Cook, especially after the trade of Stefon Diggs to Buffalo.

If Cook continues his holdout throughout training camp or even into the regular season, the Vikings may be forced to trade him or he may simply be unavailable to Minnesota for the season opener because he refuses to play without a new deal.

The Packers and Vikings were the top two teams in the NFC North last season and most experts project the to be at the top again in 2020. The Packers swept Minnesota in their two meetings a season ago. Winning at home against the Pack is vital for the Vikings confidence and their chances of topping Green Bay in the standings. If Cook isn’t ready to go, their chances of winning this game and of winning the division, diminish.

3. Positive: A New Deal for Cook Will Hurt the Vikings Cap Situation

The Vikings already had cap problems heading into this offseason. As a result, they traded away Diggs and let several key defensive players go prior to free agency like Linval Joseph, Xavier Rhodes and Everson Griffen.

Right now, the Vikings are expected to have a bit more than $8 million in cap space after they sign all their draft choices to entry-level deals.

They must pay safety Anthony Harris who they placed the franchise tag on. This does not give Minnesota a lot of cap room to sign Cook without making a trade or releasing a player another sizeable contract for this season.

4. Negative: Cook Could Set the Bar for Running Back Contracts

The downside of the Cook holdout is that the Packers star running back, Aaron Jones, is also entering the last year of his contract in 2020.

While Jones has said he will concentrate on what he can control on the field and does not plan to stage a holdout, Jones and his agent will certainly be watching Cook’s contract situation when it comes to deciding what they will ask for from Brian Gutekunst during negotiations.

If Cook gets a lucrative new contract from the Vikings, let there be no doubt the cost of re-signing Jones will go up for the Packers. And even though reports indicate there have been preliminary negotiations between Jones and the Packers, Jones’ agent would be foolish not to wait and see what kind of deal Cook signs before having his client agree to a new deal with Green Bay.

The Pack has good depth at running back right now which will certainly help them in any negotiations with Jones. In addition to Jones, the Packers have Jamaal Williams who is also set to become an unrestricted free agent next March. Green Bay also added second-round pick A.J. Dillon in this year’s draft, giving them three running backs who can carry the load if called upon.

Still, the Packers will be forced to adjust their negotiations with Jones based on what kind of a deal Cook signs with Minnesota assuming Cook is signed before the season starts.

Overall, the longer Cook’s holdout goes, the better it should be for the Packers and the worse it will be for the Vikings. But once Cook signs a new deal, it could easily drive up the price the Packers have to pay to keep Jones and it may make it more difficult for Jones to stay in Green Bay beyond 2020.