Former Missouri football quarterback Brady Cook is set to make his first start in the NFL on Sunday.
Former Missouri football quarterback Brady Cook is set to make his first professional start.
New York Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields has been ruled out of the team’s game Sunday, Dec. 14, against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a knee injury, and backup Tyrod Taylor will miss the matchup with a groin injury.
That means Cook, who played for the Jets in relief after Taylor was injured in a 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins this past Saturday, has been elevated to the starting role. His backup will be former Kansas State QB Adrian Martinez.
"Brady will be our starting quarterback this week," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters this week. "He's gotten all the reps with the ones, and Adrian (Martinez) will be our backup."
Cook went 14-of-30 passing for 163 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions against the Dolphins. He entered the game with the Jets already trailing 21-0.
The Jets will play Jacksonville at noon CT on Sunday in Jacksonville, where Mizzou, coincidentally, will play its bowl game later this month.
“It was just a tough situation of him, not getting a chance to get all the reps," Glenn said. "But now, this week, he's had a chance to get all the reps with (the) ones, get a chance to communicate with the O-line, with the receivers, with the tight ends, with the coaching staff on exactly how we want to go about playing this game.”
Added Glenn: “I have all the confidence in the world. That's something I've stated from the very beginning. (Cook will) be a good player in this league, and he'll have his opportunity again this week."
The Jets signed Cook as an undrafted free agent shortly after the 2024 NFL Draft.
Cook was Mizzou’s starting quarterback from 2022-24. The St. Louis native and Chaminade grad won 26 games as Mizzou’s starter over those three seasons, helping Missouri record back-to-back double-digit win years in 2023 and 2024.
The quarterback will play alongside former MU teammate and right tackle Armand Membou, who was drafted with the No. 7 overall pick by the Jets and has started every game this season.
Cook registered more than 10,000-career all-purpose yards, which ranks fourth all-time at Missouri. With 9,013 career passing yards, he ranks third all-time in the category at Mizzou. He is the only MU quarterback in program history with more than 9,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.
The quarterback’s best season with the Tigers came in 2023, when he threw for 255.2 yards per game and 21 touchdowns and five interceptions in 13 starts. He also rushed for 319 yards and eight scores.
Cook appeared in 46 total games for Mizzou with 39 starts. He passed for 49 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
"I've been nervous before any football game I've ever played. I'm excited. It's important," Cook told reporters this week. "This is everything I've ever done. So, there's a level of importance there that it's going to create nerves. But whenever I (run) out onto the field and take that first snap, it's gone. It's not there, you're focused because you have no other choice. You really don't."
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Former Missouri football QB Brady Cook to make 1st NFL start with Jets
Category: General Sports
