Minnesota Vikings: Dalvin Cook’s ‘knee is ready to go’

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook said he’s ready for game action after a knee injury forced an early exit to his 2017 season.

Minnesota Vikings fans have a lot to look forward to this season. Not only did the team sign arguably the biggest free agent in years, but they also return a potential star in the making at running back: Dalvin Cook.

After being asked if there’s anything left to test before seeing game action in Week 1, Cook responded by saying (via the Vikings official Twitter account) “the coaches know” his progress and “my knee is ready to go.” Cook tore his ACL against the Detroit Lions in Week 4 last season, an injury that forced him to forego the remainder of what looked to be a promising rookie campaign.

Cook was also asked about playing in the preseason, but stated the coaches weren’t going to rush him back into action. His answer was a far cry from what the Vikings had initially thought during the onslaught of training camp. On Aug. 4, Coach Mike Zimmer said Cook would see reps in the preseason, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

Maybe Minnesota is still planning on playing Cook in one of their exhibition games, but it’s been over 10 months since he’s seen snaps in a game-like setting. The good news is that he’s moved on from a knee brace, but is it even slightly concerning that Cook hasn’t even been tackled in a game since Oct. 1?

“The only thing we’re trying to do each day is stack on a few more plays, few more days in a row,” Zimmer said when speaking on Cook’s progress, per Jacksonville.com. “That’s really what we’re trying to do — is trying to get him in game-ready shape.”

But maybe a real game isn’t even what Cook needs. In fact, at Thursday’s presser the second-year running back said the Vikings-Jaguars joint practice on Wednesday felt like a game in and of itself. It was a big step for a player who hasn’t played against anyone besides his own teammates in months.

Whether Cook gets carries during the preseason remains to be seen. If he does, it could be a major signal that he’s fully recovered from his knee injury. That being said, unless Cook misses any time before Week 1, Vikings fans shouldn’t be concerned about their star running back.