Injury Will Delay Start of David Cobb’s Rookie Season

Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Running back David Cobb followed a 1,200-yard rushing season in 2013 with even better numbers last season, as he set Minnesota’s single-season school record with 1,626 rushing yards while also scoring 13 touchdowns. That performance put him in the cross hairs of NFL scouts, and the Tennessee Titans drafted him in the fifth round (138th overall) of May’s draft.

With only the less-than impressive Bishop Sankey theoretically ahead of him on the depth chart, Cobb had a clear opportunity to earn a big immediate role in Tennessee. He started to fulfill that possibility quickly, with 11 carries for 53 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in the Titans’ preseason opener, but a severe calf injury kept Cobb out of the very important third preseason game and the news got worse on Sunday with Week 1 on the horizon.

The @Titans will place RB David Cobb on IR– designated for return. He’ll be eligible to return to practice after 6 wks and to games after 8.
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 6, 2015

Cobb will not be eligible to play until Tennessee’s ninth game of the coming season, which will be Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers at home.

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Barring an unlikely move from 2-14 last season all the way to playoff contention, the Titans will have to latch onto the promise of the future at some point during the coming season. If a healthy Cobb is ready to hit the ground running when he’s able to play, he and quarterback Marcus Mariota could bring some much-needed positive momentum to Titans’ fans over the final seven games of the season.