The Vikings are optimistic that Cook (knee), who underwent season-ending surgery Monday to repair a torn left ACL, will be 100 percent healthy for the start of the 2018 campaign, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. "No real further damage in Cook's knee, thankfully," Vikings athletic trainer Eric Sugarman said Tuesday. "Pretty straight ACL. And I'd hope to expect him at training camp next year."
Cook, a second-round pick out of Florida State, emerged as one of the top backs in the league through the first quarter of the season, racking up 444 total yards and two touchdowns to revive a Vikings ground game that struggled mightily in 2016. However, after tearing his ACL in Week 4, the rookie will now embark on a nine-plus-month recovery process, resulting in Jerick McKinnon and Latavius Murray taking over as the Vikings' primary rushers. While McKinnon in particular impressed in the Week 5 win over the Bears, neither player boasts a comparable all-around skill set to Cook, who should take back the starting gig in 2018 if his knee heals as anticipated.