Dalvin Cook to Play vs. Steelers With Shoulder Harness, Expected to See Regular Workload

Dalvin Cook is officially playing against the Steelers tonight. He'll be out there in a shoulder harness and is expected to see his regular workload, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Vikings RB Dalvin Cook will play tonight vs. the Steelers with a shoulder harness, just as he did vs. the Saints in a January 2020 wild-card game, when he had 31 touches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. With the harness, expectations are that Cook maintains his regular workload.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 9, 2021

Indications on Thursday morning were that Cook was pushing to play and things was trending in that direction, pending medical clearance. Now it appears he has gotten that clearance and is good to go for Thursday Night Football.

The Vikings' superstar running back suffered a dislocated left shoulder and a torn labrum against the 49ers just 11 days ago (though Mike Zimmer oddly later disputed the reports that Cook had torn his labrum). Players from both teams came onto the field and took a knee as a tearful Cook was carted off the field with what appeared to be a significant injury.

It turned out to not be as serious as it looked in the moment, and initial expectations after testing were that Cook would miss two games and return on Monday night against the Bears in Week 15.

But apparently the Vikings don't feel like there's much risk of reinjury or aggravation, as they've given him the green light to play after missing just one game. It might just be a pain tolerance issue for Cook, who is a notoriously hard-working competitor. His rehab over the past week-and-a-half was described as "intense," and it allowed him to quickly regain his strength and range of motion. He clearly didn't want to miss this must-win game for the Vikings.

This will be interesting. As Schefter mentioned, Cook has worn a shoulder harness before and played well in that playoff victory over the Saints. His lower body is still 100 percent, which is the most important thing for a running back.

But will this affect his ability to catch the football or his willingness to receive and deliver contact? What happens if he takes a big blow to the shoulder? Defenders are going to be well aware of the injury he's playing through. Keep in mind that there are four games remaining after this one and that Cook is under contract for four more seasons with an average cap hit of $13.8 million.

If Cook is to see his normal workload tonight, that could be upwards of 30 touches. We'll just have to see how his body holds up.

Alexander Mattison, who has exceeded 100 yards from scrimmage in all three of his starts this season, goes back to backup duties but may see slightly more touches than usual to spell Cook. Kene Nwangwu presumably returns to being a kick returner only.

The Steelers have given up 829 rushing yards over the past five weeks, which is the most among all teams over that time frame.

Kickoff is at 7:20 p.m. central time on FOX and NFL Network.

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all season long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there.