While Cook (hamstring) hasn't officially been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Saints, it's not expected he'll play in the contest, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Pelissero's nugget mirrors what Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com relayed earlier Wednesday, though the latter report also suggested Cook would likely remain out for the Vikings' Week 9 game against the Lions. Despite the pessimism surrounding Cook's outlook for both this week and next, coach Mike Zimmer was unwilling to commit to the running back missing a fourth straight contest when pressed on the matter Wednesday. Per Pelissero, Zimmer said "there's always a chance" that Cook improves enough to suit up, though the 23-year-old would almost certainly need to resume practicing without significant restrictions for that to become a reality. It's expected that Cook will be listed as a non-participant in the Vikings' first session of Week 8, with confirmation on that front set to arrive shortly after Wednesday's practice concludes.