Dalvin Cook appeared to be nearing a return from a hamstring injury when he began practicing last week, but the Minnesota Vikings star re-aggravated the injury and ended up missing his third consecutive game in Week 7. According to one report, he’s going to sit out at least two more.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin spoke with multiple NFL sources who believe Cook will miss Minnesota’s next two games against the New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions, with a bye coming after that in Week 10. That means Cook’s target return date is Week 11 at the earliest.
Fortunately for the Vikings, Latavius Murray has once again found a rhythm and is proving to be a viable backup. The veteran has scored three rushing touchdowns over the past two games and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry during that stretch. Murray scored eight touchdowns last season with Cook sidelined due to a torn ACL and was very productive in a starting role.
There’s no denying Cook is a difference-maker when healthy, but Minnesota’s offense has looked good over the past two weeks with Murray throwing vicious stiff-arms on defenders. If the Vikings can get Cook back and healthy after the bye, both backs should have a significant role.
