Until last week, Dylan Cook had never played in an NFL regular-season game despite spending four seasons in the league on the practice squads of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cook is now expected to make his NFL start on Monday night when the Steelers (7-6) host the Miami Dolphins (6-7) at Acrisure Stadium. Cook will play left offensive tackle in place of Andrus Peat, who will miss the game with a concussion.
Peat made his first start of the season last week in a 27-22 win over the Baltimore Ravens in place of Broderick Jones, who sustained a season-ending neck injury two weeks earlier. When Peat was injured last week, Cook stepped in and played the last 13 offensive snaps in a victory that put the Steelers alone in first place in the AFC North.
Cook, 27, was elevated from the practice squad last week, then signed to the 53-man roster this week as offensive lineman Calvin Anderson (knee) was placed on injured reserve. Cook has made a good impression on the rest of the Steelers’ offensive linemen, and right tackle Troy Fautanu says the rest of the unit has the rookie’s back.
"We all know how Dylan plays," Fautanu said. "We know what kind of player he is. We're all confident he can come in and make plays. I feel like that's a key part of being a really good o-line, and obviously, we're still working towards that. But the closer you are, I feel like the better you are."
Pro Football Focus gave Cook an overall grade of 61.1 against the Ravens, a 72.8 pass block grade, and a 54.1 run block grade.
"It stinks obviously seeing guys go down, and guys get injured, but it's the nature of the game," Fautanu said. "It's a physical sport, and things like that are going to happen every week, regardless of what position you play. So, as we like to say in the o-line room, all the older guys and the coaches always say it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when with injuries. So, props to Dylan for being able to step in and fill that role."