Mason Cole's play in two starts as the Vikings center has led to coaches pondering whether to keep him in the starting lineup, even as former first-round pick Garrett Bradbury returned to TCO Performance Center on Monday.
"We've had that conversation," coach Mike Zimmer said. "We'll just have to see this week in practice. Bradbury hasn't been here in two weeks, or I think he's missed two weeks now. We're just going to have to sort it out this week. But Mason's done a really nice job. He's done a terrific job. We'll just try to figure this out. It's better than having no options."
Cole has drawn strong reviews from coaches and teammates for his play against the Ravens and Chargers since replacing Bradbury, who was just cleared to return after testing positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 4. But Zimmer stopped short of guaranteeing Bradbury will get his job back. Bradbury, the franchise's highest draft pick at the position, has been inconsistent in 2 1/2 seasons.
Cole also has two NFL starts at guard, along with being the former Cardinals starting center before his trade to Minnesota this offseason. That versatility makes him a valued backup, but the offensive line's weakest link, at times, has been the center.
"I feel pretty confident at any of those three interior spots," Cole said. "Whenever there's an opportunity, if they want to put me in, I feel like I can be successful. And I feel like that's why I was brought here."
Bradbury and guard Dakota Dozier returned to the team's practice facility Monday after bouts with COVID-19. Dozier is "doing good," Cole said, after the 30-year-old was released from the hospital Sunday morning after a four-day stay because of breathing trouble.
"And Garrett is good, too," Cole said. "We handled the chaos the last couple weeks of just not knowing what was going to happen. If anybody was going to test positive and what not, so it's been good in that sense, how we handled the chaos."
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