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Just two weeks after signing with the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad, veteran running back Dalvin Cook is expected to be active for the team's AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Houston Texans on Saturday.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the agency that represents Cook divulged Thursday that Cook has been signed to Baltimore's 53-man roster and will play in Saturday's game.

Cook spent most of the 2023 season with the New York Jets, but he was released earlier this month so he could have the opportunity to sign with a contender and pursue a Super Bowl.

The 28-year-old Cook played six seasons for the Minnesota Vikings from 2017 through 2022 before getting released due to salary-cap purposes this past offseason.

From 2019 to 2022, Cook rushed for at least 1,100 yards in four straight seasons, and he was named to the Pro Bowl each time.

The Jets jumped at the opportunity to sign him in hopes of having a potent one-two punch of Cook and Breece Hall in the backfield, but the plan didn't work out as the organization hoped.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles tear early in the Jets' first game of the year, and the offense struggled to find its identity for the rest of the campaign.

One shining light in what was an otherwise moribund season was Hall, who bounced back from an ACL tear in his rookie year to tally 1,585 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns in his second NFL season.

With Hall emerging as the clear go-to guy, Cook's role was limited, and he rushed for just 214 yards and no touchdowns on 67 carries.

This season marked the first time Cook failed to score a touchdown, and he also set new career worsts in rushing yardage and yards per carry. His 3.2 yards per tote were more than a yard worse than his previous career-low mark of 4.4 yards per carry set in 2022.

Although there are legitimate questions regarding whether Cook has anything left in the tank, the Ravens bet on the notion that he will be able to be effective in their system.

The Ravens have dealt with some major injury issues in their backfield this season, as starting running back J.K. Dobbins was lost for the year in Week 1, and electric rookie Keaton Mitchell suffered a season-ending injury in December.

That left Baltimore with only Gus Edwards and Justice Hill at running back, and it prompted them to bring in Cook as depth and insurance.

Edwards has been the Ravens' top option out of the backfield this season, rushing for 810 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns. Hill rushed for 387 yards and three scores, and he was a reliable pass-catching option for quarterback Lamar Jackson, reeling in 28 receptions for 206 yards and one touchdown.

Since Edwards and Hill have clearly defined roles, all signs point toward the Ravens continuing to deploy them in the same manner during the playoffs.

That means the opportunities may not be plentiful for Cook, but having him on hand should benefit the team in case Edwards or Hill get banged up, or they need a rest at some point in Saturday's pivotal contest.

If the top-seeded Ravens manage to beat the Texans, they will host the AFC Championship Game against either the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs, which would put them one win away from Cook playing in his first Super Bowl.

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