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Dalvin Cook, who has 1,654 yards from scrimmage last season, has agreed to a five-year, $63 million extension with the Minnesota Vikings. Brett Duke/Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings signed running back Dalvin Cook to a five-year, $63 million contract extension Saturday, giving their dual-threat star some security the day before the season opener.

Cook was picked for his first Pro Bowl last year after becoming the eighth different player to reach 1,000 rushing yards in Vikings history. Since he was drafted in the second round in 2017 out of Florida State, Cook has missed 21 of a possible 52 games due to injuries.

In 2019, he came the closest to a full season, sitting out twice with shoulder trouble yet still finishing seventh in the league with 1,654 yards from scrimmage. He had 13 rushing touchdowns, tied for the second-highest single season total in franchise history, and 519 receiving yards.

Since offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak arrived last year, first as an offensive advisor for run-favoring head coach Mike Zimmer, the Vikings have made screen passes a bigger part of their scheme. With an average of 11.15 yards after the catch per reception, Cook led all NFL running backs with a minimum of 25 receptions.

RAMS: Receiver Cooper Kupp has agreed to a three-year contract extension through 2023 with the Los Angeles Rams.

Neither the team nor Kupp’s management immediately disclosed the financial terms of the deal reached Saturday, a day before the Rams’ season opener against the Dallas Cowboys in brand-new SoFi Stadium.

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Kupp has been a steady, productive receiver since the Rams chose him in the third round of the 2017 draft. He was Los Angeles’ top pass-catcher last season, leading the team with 94 receptions for 1,161 yards and 10 touchdowns.

A precise route-runner with a knack for big, rambling gains after key catches, Kupp was an immediate success as a rookie. The Eastern Washington product had 69 catches for 869 yards on coach Sean McVay’s first team in Los Angeles, followed by eight catches in his NFL playoff debut.

Kupp missed the second half of the 2018 season with a torn ligament in his knee, preventing him from playing in the Rams’ postseason run to the Super Bowl.

He rebounded with an outstanding season in 2019 alongside fellow starter Robert Woods, and the Rams made clear their intention to lock up Kupp in an extension.

Kupp is making $2.37 million this season. He has caught 196 passes for 2,596 yards and 21 touchdowns in 39 career games, including 28 starts for the Rams.

SAINTS: New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara agreed to a five-year extension, the club announced.

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A person familiar with the contract says it is worth up to $75 million on paper, but that the final season includes a large non-guaranteed payment which effectively limits the team’s obligation to $50 million from 2021 to 2024. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial details have not been released.

The $50 million for four years puts the deal on par with the contract running back Derrick Henry signed with Tennessee in July.

A third-round draft choice out of Tennessee and offensive rookie of the year in 2017, Kamara is one of only two players, along with Atlanta receiver Julio Jones, to surpass 1,300 yards from scrimmage in each of the past three seasons.

Kamara was due to become a restricted free agent after this season and had sat out several training camp practices while the club acknowledged they were trying to negotiate an extension.

49ERS: San Francisco placed starting receiver Deebo Samuel on injured reserve.

The move made Saturday means Samuel will miss at least the first three games of the season. Samuel broke his foot during informal offseason training with teammates in June.

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He sat out all of training camp and was activated from the non-football injury list last Saturday. General Manager John Lynch and Coach Kyle Shanahan had hoped Samuel would be ready for Week 1 but they have decided to wait. The first game Samuel is eligible to play will be in Week 4 on Oct. 4 against Philadelphia.

BROWNS: Quarterback Baker Mayfield has changed plans and will stand for the national anthem.

Mayfield had said during the offseason he intended to kneel in protest of racial injustice, but Saturday announced on Twitter that he intends to stand for both the “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which will be played before every NFL game this season.

The Browns open the season Sunday in Baltimore.

“After watching Thursday’s game and also watching the Dolphins player’s video.. it shows that it is not about who is standing or who is kneeling for the anthem,” Mayfield wrote. “But instead, coming together and taking action to create real change. Also after reading many letters and messages over the past few weeks… I have been showed that a gesture such as kneeling will only create more division or discussion about the gesture, rather than be a solution towards our country’s problems at hand.

“With that being said, I am choosing to stand for both anthems to show respect, love, and unity to everybody involved.”

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Mayfield, who is a member of the Browns’ 11-player social justice committee, said he’ll respect whatever decisions his teammates make as far as protesting during the anthems.

TITANS: Rookie Isaiah Wilson has been arrested and charged with drunken driving after he was spotted doing “donuts” in an intersection before crashing into a concrete wall.

Wilson was arrested Friday night and booked into the Davidson County Jail before being released on a DUI charge early Saturday morning. According to the arrest affidavit, Wilson told the officer he was having issues with a back tire, which caused the crash.

The offensive lineman also said he had two margaritas before driving. He struggled with the field sobriety tests before registering 0.107 on the final breath analyzer test. The legal blood alcohol limit in Tennessee is 0.08.

The Titans open the season Monday night at Denver. The No. 29 pick overall in April out of Georgia currently is on the reserve-COVID list for the second time. He started training camp on the list before being removed Aug. 3 and was placed on the list again on Sept. 6.

TITANS: Tennessee will be without starting cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and outside linebacker Vic Beasley Jr. on Monday night when they visit Denver for their season opener.

 

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