The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... GM Rick Spielman said Thursday that Cook's rehab and recovery could lead to similar success that former Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has when he returned to the field in 2012 following an ACL injury of his own. "He's progressed very nicely," Spielman said of Cook.

Diehards Line: Spielman continued: “I talked to [Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer] Eric Sugarman yesterday 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 Vikings second-round pick in 2017 was injured in Week 4 when he tore his ACL and missed the remainder of the season. Cook rushed for 354 yards on 74 attempts (4.8 yards per attempt) and scored two touchdowns in three-plus games in his rookie season.