Dalvin Cook still has a way to go as he recovers from a torn ACL, but Rick Spielman has high hopes for his young running back.
The Minnesota Vikings general manager was very upfront with his expectations for Cook, confirming the 22-year-old is on track to return in time for the 2018 season. Spielman even went so far as to liken Cook's anticipated recovery to that of another Vikings great at the position, according to team reporter Eric Smith.
"He's progressed very nicely," Spielman said. "I talked to (Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer) Eric Sugarman ... when we got back in town, and we don’t see any reason where he’s not going to be where Adrian Peterson was when he came off his knee (injury)."
“We have no reason to believe Dalvin won’t even be stronger than he was before the injury. We’re very excited about getting him back on the field.”
The connection to Peterson is likely based on the healing process with Cook's knee, but the comparison creates some rather big shoes to fill nonetheless. Peterson returned from a torn ACL in 2012 to reord 2,097 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns for an average of 131.1 yards per game, so only time will tell if Cook is able to close in on that type of production in what is hopefully his first full season in the league.
