Vikings RB Dalvin Cook Misses Practice For Second Straight Day With Ankle Injury

The Vikings might just be taking things cautiously with Cook. We'll find out his status on Friday.

Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook didn't participate in practice for a second day in a row on Thursday, raising the question of whether or not he may have to miss Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

For what it's worth, I'd imagine Cook will play even if he's not feeling 100 percent. He didn't seem too concerned about his potential availability during his Wednesday presser, and neither did Mike Zimmer. Cook is tough, and they're going to keep leaning on him because they need him.

He's also the type of player who doesn't need to practice during the week in order to be able to go out there and do his thing on Sundays.

With all of that said, it's a bit concerning that Cook hasn't even been able to practice in a limited fashion to start this week. Not only is he dealing with the ankle injury, but he suffered a stinger earlier in the game against the Cardinals. Just two games and 50 touches into a 17-game season, Cook is already feeling the effects of playing running back in the NFL.

We'll find out Cook's status when the Vikings release their final injury report on Friday at around 12:30 p.m. or so. I'd be surprised if he were ruled out. The most likely outcome seems like he'll be listed as questionable and the team will see how he feels on Saturday and Sunday morning.

The Vikings' only other running back on the active roster is Alexander Mattison. If Cook can't go, they would presumably elevate Ameer Abdullah as a COVID replacement for Harrison Hand, and would likely also elevate A.J. Rose Jr. from the practice squad.

Cook played in just 15 of 32 games during his first two seasons with an ACL tear and a hamstring injury, but has played in 28 of 32 the past two seasons while establishing himself as a top-three running back in the NFL.

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.