Chris Cook Fails Post-Concussion Tests, Won’t Play Friday

Chris Cook left Friday’s preseason game after taking a shot to the head area while making a tackle and strip on a Bills receiver. Since then Cook has gone through the usual concussion protocols and thus far has not passed the tests. As a result, Cook will be held out for Friday’s third preseason game.

Bad news for Cook, big opportunity for Josh Robinson and Chris Carr, both of whom figure to see increased action with Cook out. Of those two guys, Carr has by far the most to prove coming off two unimpressive preseason performances. Right now I’d have to say Cook and Antoine Winfield are locked into two of the top three cornerback spots and Robinson and Carr are pretty much dead-even for number 3. Robinson played well last Friday and can pull away from Carr with another solid performance this week against San Diego.

As for Cook…hopefully this won’t turn into a lingering issue for him. Sometimes this stuff can clear up right away but sometimes it just drags on week after week and you wonder if you’ll ever see the guy on the field again. Cook seems like a guy who can take another step and become a very good player but every year something else crops up that hinders his development. His rookie season it was two separate meniscus tears and last year it was the arrest.

The only good news for the Vikings is that, if Cook does have to miss some regular season time again, they’re a little better covered at corner than they were last year. Chris Carr and Zack Bowman may not be Pro Bowlers but they’re better than Asher Allen and Benny Sapp. And Robinson’s apparent emergence also helps.

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