Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook hit the news cycle this week after his former girlfriend, Gracelyn Trimble, accused him of assault, battery, and false imprisonment. With the NFL’s personal conduct policy not far behind these headlines, is the Vikings’ RB playing in Week 10, or will Minnesota list him as inactive?
Update: Dalvin Cook is officially active for the Vikings Week 10 matchup with the Los Angles Chargers
Is Dalvin Cook playing today?
Unless anything emerges ahead of the game, Cook will be active for the Vikings’ Week 10 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. Currently, no criminal charges have been filed, and this is a civil lawsuit. Head coach Mike Zimmer addressed what this means during his media availability this week.
“What I was told is the NFL said this is a civil matter, and it is what is. So, I don’t know that much about it, honestly.”
An NFL spokesman told ESPN that while the league will review the allegations under the personal conduct policy, as it is a civil case, they will not place Cook on the Commissioner’s Exempt List at this time. Cook’s attorney and his agent Zac Hiller have presented a differing version of events, first reported by Adam Schefter.
Schefter tweeted on Tuesday, ahead of Trimbles’ lawsuit becoming public, that Cook was the victim of domestic assault. Schefter then added that Trimble used a stolen garage door opener to enter Cook’s home, attacking him and his guest. Trimble reportedly “maced Cook directly in his eyes immediately upon illegally entering.”
Schefter has since apologized for his reporting of the situation. On SportsCenter, Schefter spoke as to the shortcomings in his original report.
“In a case like this, it’s important to reach out to all sides for information and comment. When I got the information the other night, I didn’t do that. I could have done a better job reaching out to the other people, especially on a story as sensitive and as significant as this. I didn’t do that properly. And it’s a reminder to slow down in this world.”
What would have to happen for the NFL to suspend Cook?
There is still the potential Cook could go on the commissioner’s exempt list. However, according to the NFL’s personal conduct policy, Cook would have to be “formally charged with: (1) a felony offense; or (2) a crime of violence, meaning that he is accused of having used physical force or a weapon to injure or threaten a person or animal, of having engaged in a sexual assault by force or against a person who was incapable of giving consent, or having engaged in other conduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety or well-being of another person. The formal charges may be in the form of an indictment by a grand jury, the filing of charges by a prosecutor, or an arraignment in a criminal court.”
Cook should see a normal workload in Week 10
Nothing on the surface indicates Cook will miss time or receive a reduced workload in Week 10. He made himself available to the media Wednesday, as usual. He also participated at practice as normal.
However, we do not know what is happening behind the scenes. If Cook is distracted or has struggled with the allegations, the Vikings may restrict his usage this week. There has been no indication he will be inactive. Nevertheless, it’s hard to know what might happen in the hours leading up to the game in these situations. As of Saturday night, Cook will be active with a full workload on Sunday.