The Bengals could use some stability in the back end, but Bryan Cook isn’t interested in taking the field unless he can truly help.
Cincinnati sits at 2-2, still very much alive early in the season, but the secondary has become a real concern. The team was without Cook and backup safety Kyle Dugger last week, and Jordan Battle was limited all week because of a hamstring injury. With Battle struggling on the field and the rest of the safety group lacking experience, the Bengals would love to have both Cook and Dugger available Sunday.
Cook made it clear Thursday that he won’t suit up if he thinks he’d be a burden rather than an asset.
“You know how much I love my teammates, and I want to be playing, but I can’t be selfish in that aspect,” he said per Mike Petraglia. “But at the same time, I feel if I’m not being who they need me to be on the team, on the field, I’m hurting my teammates. So I never let that happen.
“It’s always team first at the end of the day. So if I can be what I need to be for my team, I’ll be out there.
And if I feel like I’m giving them less than myself, I’ll never let that happen. It’s always team first at the end of the day.”
Cook hurt his right ankle in Week 3 against the Steelers. He missed practice Wednesday, then returned as a limited participant Thursday, which at least points in the right direction.
If he can go, he would give a thin secondary some much-needed help at safety. And with the Bengals coming off back-to-back losses, both of them tied to self-inflicted mistakes, they badly need a win before heading into the bye week. A loss would sting.
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Bengals Get A Familiar Ref Crew For A Game That Could Turn Testy
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Bengals May Be Getting A Timely Boost In Their Banged Up WR Room
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Young said the injury looked worse at first than it ended up being after X-rays, a relief for a group that has needed bodies and options. He also said he tried to go back in against the Steelers before wide receivers coach Troy Walters kept him out, a small detail that underscored how close he may already be to rejoining the mix. [Read more 🡒]