Dalvin Cook Leaves Vikings-Seahawks With Groin Injury

Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook left Sunday night’s game against the Seahawks with a groin injury after coming up limping on his first touch of the second half. He returned shortly thereafter and tried to continue playing, but the Vikings seem to have decided to shut him down and go with backup Alexander Mattison for the remainder of the game.

Cook, the NFL’s leading rusher, was off to another strong start in this primetime matchup. He had 94 yards from scrimmage and his seventh touchdown run of the year on 21 touches in the first half. But on the Vikings’ first offensive play of third quarter, Cook caught a pass and instantly grabbed the inside of his left thigh.

He limped off the field and went straight to the locker room, accompanied by head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman. The team listed Cook as questionable to return. He was able to return to the sidelines not long after and got back into the game, but clearly he wasn’t feeling healthy enough to continue.

Unless Cook returns, the Vikings will lean on Mattison the rest of the way. They also have Ameer Abdullah and Mike Boone on the roster.

It’s good that Cook wasn’t immediately ruled out and was able to give it a shot, but this groin injury is concerning considering his injury history. Cook saw his rookie season end after four games due to an ACL tear, dealt with a hamstring injury in 2018, and was hampered by a couple upper-body ailments for a while last year.

The Vikings signed Cook to a five-year, $63 million extension this offseason. He has been the most productive running back in the league so far in 2020.

The Vikings trail the Seahawks 21-19 heading to the fourth quarter.

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