Steelers' Rising Star Dylan Cook Receives Highest Praise After Performance Against The Dolphins

The Pittsburgh Steelers sent a strong message to the league on Monday night, defeating the Miami Dolphins 28-15 in one of, if not the most complete game the Steelers have played all season. When Pittsburgh clicks on both sides of the ball in the way that they did against the Dolphins, they can do more than just take care of business, they can go out and beat anyone in the league.

There were a lot of positive signs to take away from the Steelers' victory against the Dolphins, but something else that was crucial to the victory has gone largely unnoticed in the immediate aftermath of the win. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked three times, however, Rodgers still posted one of his best games of the season with 224 yards and two touchdowns, as the offensive line kept him clean when it mattered most. Out of all the players on the offensive line, Steelers offensive tackle Dylan Cook posted one of the most impressive performances out of anyone in the group on the night.

The Steelers were already impressed with Cook's performance last week, and with his performance against the Dolphins, even more are starting to take notice of his play, with one of them being former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex as he watched the game on Monday night. Essex took to X early Tuesday morning to vouch for Cook and offer a high level of praise for Cook's performance on the field.

Essex making this comment is absolutely warranted regarding how Cook has performed in his limited action so far this season. Cook entered the contest last week against the Baltimore Ravens, but in his first full game as a starter against the Dolphins on Monday night, he allowed zero pressures and zero quarterback hits on his side of the line, and that's against a strong Dolphins pass rush.

Even Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin had great things to say about Cook in his weekly press conference.

"He certainly, I thought, did a nice job of representing himself last night," Tomlin said. "As I mentioned though, we helped him schematically, but it is our job to do so. But he was a component of a successful winning outing, so he deserves congratulations, and we'll see what this week holds."

A potential future contract for Cook should not be out of the question after how he's looked against the Ravens and Dolphins. The next test for Cook and the rest of the offensive line will be against the Detroit Lions next Sunday afternoon, and with how much stronger the Lions' pass rush is than either the Dolphins or Ravens, Cook and the rest of the offensive line will need to put together another dominant performance and keep Rodgers clean in the pocket.

Steelers' Cook Will Need To Continue Strong Performances To Earn Another Contract

The praise from Essex and others around the NFL landscape is not surprising for Cook, but if he wants to earn a second contract, these next few weeks will be his true chance to prove himself to the Steelers. If Cook can perform well against the Lions and help lead the Steelers to victory, then there should be conversations around the Steelers' front office about giving Cook another contract, keeping him a mainstay on the offensive line for the next few years.

What did you think about Essex and Tomlin's praise of Cook's performance? Let us know in the comments below.

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