Bryan Cook Explains Ankle Injury, Recovery and Mindset for Camp

Now back from a scary ankle injury suffered last season, Cook detailed what happened and how he pushed through his recovery.

Oct 12, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) runs on field against the Denver Broncos prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs' defense is still sorting some things out in the secondary, but the return of Bryan Cook for 2024 helps matters quite a bit. The former second-round pick has been a full participant at training camp after working through the offseason program and is now on the other side of a scary ankle injury suffered late last season.

For Cook, it's been a long time coming. He hasn't played in an organized NFL game since December of last year, as the ailment forced him to miss the rest of his 2023-24 campaign. That included the playoffs, when Kansas City won Super Bowl LVIII with their starting safety sidelined.

Speaking to the media following Thursday's practice, Cook dove into his thought process during that run and why he's glad the Chiefs accomplished their ultimate goal.

"It was challenging," Cook said. "The hardest part is realizing your guys are out there battling and you can't do anything to help them. But at the end of the day, shout out to them, they got the job done. It wasn't that bad when you look at the end. I was able to recover, they got the job done on the back end and I have an opportunity now to [re-present] myself and where I am in today's time."

Before his injury, Cook was playing some of his best football. Setting career-high marks in tackles, interceptions, fumble recoveries and touchdowns, the former Cincinnati standout complemented Justin Reid and the rest of the secondary well. Now, he'll look to do the same in a safety room that has Reid returning soon and both Chamarri Conner and rookie Jaden Hicks dazzling at camp.

Back to the injury, though. Cook explained that he suffered something similar in college, later repaired with surgery that installed some hardware in his ankle. He believes having the prior elements already in his body helped his recovery this time around. While an injury is never fortunate, the 24-year-old managed to find a silver lining in an otherwise gruesome Week 13 incident.

"I kind of just basically ruptured the tightrope that was already in there," Cook said. "I tore my deltoid ligament as well, so we went in, repaired that, repaired the tightrope, added another tightrope in there and added an anchor. So I've got a little metal in my ankle for sure, but it's all good though. We're still back out here."

Because of a shoulder issue, Cook wasn't able to participate in athletic testing leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft. Despite that, turning on his tape shows a rangy safety that gives consistent effort and is one of the more willing tacklers on the team. Earlier this week, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and cornerback Trent McDuffie explained that Cook's relentless mindset was sorely missed during his time off.

Now in August, Cook is putting more pressure on himself than anyone. He knows it's almost time for the regular season, which would mark his official return for the first time in nine months.

"Every day, just kind of pushing the throttle a little more and seeing what I can do and what I can't do," Cook said. "But that's what camp is for."

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