If there were any questions about Dalvin Cook's health going into the playoffs, he erased them this past weekend, as the Minnesota Vikings running back gashed the New Orleans Saints for 94 yards and a couple of touchdowns in a 26-20 overtime win in the Wild Card Round.
Cook also carried the football 28 times, so it seemed pretty clear the Vikings were comfortable with giving him a heavy workload, another indication that he was okay.
But because Cook missed the final two games of the regular season due to a shoulder injury, some are still wondering if he is experiencing any lingering effects, but the halfback insists he is “fine” ahead of Minnesota's Divisional Round matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
#Vikings RB Dalvin Cook addressing reporters, draws a distinction between being injured and banged up. Says he was just banged up at end of season. Had 31 touches in return Sunday. “I’m fine, just to let y’all know.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 7, 2020
Of course, there is a chance that Cook is a bit banged up, but it appears fairly obvious that he is healthy enough to not only play but also be effective.
In the 14 games he played during the regular season, Cook racked up 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. In addition, he hauled in 53 receptions for 519 yards.
The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Florida State, was originally selected by the Vikings in the second round (41st pick overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
A torn ACL cut his rookie campaign short after just four games, and in 2018, Cook was limited to just 11 contests due to more knee issues.
However, when Cook was on the field, he was impressive in both 2017 and 2018, and he gave the league a taste of what he can do when healthy this season.
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