Dalvin Cook Suffers Knee Injury vs. Lions; Initial Diagnosis a Torn ACL

The Minnesota Vikings announced running back Dalvin Cook suffered a knee injury Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

After the game, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported the initial diagnosis is a "nearly complete" ACL tear, but the team is hopeful an MRI will show otherwise. Cook left the locker room on crutches with his knee in a brace, per Pelissero.

Cook's knee buckled when he was attempting to make a cut. He exited after running for 66 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. 

Health was a concern surrounding Cook when he entered the 2017 NFL draft. He battled hamstring issues in 2015 and underwent shoulder surgery in 2016. 

That will likely be at the forefront of the minds of Vikings fans with Sunday's news. It'd be unfair to call Cook injury-prone, but the knee injury speaks to what was already a worry regarding his long-term future in the league.

Before selecting Cook in the second round, the Vikings signed Latavius Murray to a three-year deal worth $15 million. While durability has been a problem for him as well, Murray has remained generally effective when healthy. 

He ran for 788 yards and 12 touchdowns in 14 games for the Oakland Raiders a year ago, and his combination of experience and production will be even more valuable for Minnesota should Cook miss the rest of the season.