Cook suffered a torn labrum and dislocation of his left shoulder during Sunday's loss to the 49ers, but the injury isn't expected to be season-ending, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Cook underwent an MRI on Monday as the Vikings looked to gain more information on the injury that resulted in him being carted off the field during Sunday's 34-26 loss to the 49ers. The star running back previously sustained a labrum tear in his right shoulder, the same one that required a pair of surgeries during his college days at Florida State. Back in 2019 after suffering a similar dislocation of the right shoulder, Cook initially tried to play through the pain for two games before ultimately being rested for another two contests, then returned to action in dominant form for a playoff tilt against the Saints. This time around, the Vikings may simply opt to rest Cook right away beginning in Week 13 to better ensure that he avoids a setback once he returns. With Cook on track to miss the Vikings' upcoming game against the Bears and quite possibly more time to follow, Alexander Mattison should get another opportunity to show what he can do in a three-down workhorse role.