Eli Drinkwitz discusses Brady Cook's shoulder injury, insists 'we never put our player in jeopardy'
Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers are going through spring practices now ahead of the Black-Gold Spring Game on Saturday, March 18.
So far this spring, the Tigers have been without last year’s starting quarterback, and on Monday, Drinkwitz discussed Cook’s absence.
He reiterated that Cook’s labrum injury wasn’t something he could have damaged any further by continuing to play:
Drinkwitz clarifies that Brady Cook's shoulder injury was on the back side of his labrum, not a frontal injury. Painful but not the kind of laburm injury that have been more serious for other QBs, like Drew Brees. He couldn't have damaged it any further.
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) February 27, 2023
Drinkwitz also fired back at critics of the Tigers’ treatment plan for Cook, saying Cook was never in jeopardy of injuring himself further:
The treatment plan was was done in consultation with Cook, his family & doctors. Drinkwitz: " We never put our player in jeopardy contrary to what Twitter says."
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) February 27, 2023
Cook finished the 2022 season with 2,734 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He added 585 yards and 6 touchdowns as a runner.
What this means for Mizzou
The Tigers are also, at least temporarily, without young QB Sam Horn, who injured his forearm while pitching for the Mizzou baseball team.
But Drinkwitz is confident Horn will be able to throw a football soon, even if the injury keeps him off the mound for a couple of weeks.
QB Sam Horn will be limited tomorrow in practice. Drink doesn't have exact diagnosis but suffered forearm strain. He's undergone MRI and been looked at by multiple doctors.
No damage to any ligaments. He could throw the football by the weekend.— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) February 27, 2023
Freshman Gabarri Johnson and transfer Jake Garcia stand to benefit the most from extra reps this spring. We’ll see if Horn can make a speedy return to the gridiron, but it seems the Tigers will be cautious with the young dual-sport athlete as the spring season goes on.
