Former Missouri football quarterback Brady Cook about to make his first professional start.
New York Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields has been ruled out of the team's game on Sunday, Dec. 14, against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a knee injury, and backup Tyrod Taylor will miss the game with a groin injury.
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That means Cook, who played for the Jets in relief after Taylor was injured in last Saturday's 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins, was promoted to a 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 has all the representatives and Adrian (Martinez) will be our support.”
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 down 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.
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“It was just a tough situation on his part, not having the opportunity to get all the reps,” Glenn said. “But now, this week, he had the opportunity to get all the answers from (them), get the opportunity to talk to the O-line, to the receivers, to the tight ends, to the coaching staff about exactly how we want to play this game.”
Glenn added: “I have every confidence in the world. That's what I've said from the beginning. (Cook) will be a good player in this league and he'll have that opportunity again this week.”
The Jets signed Cook as an undrafted free agent shortly after the 2024 NFL Draft.
December 30, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Missouri Tigers cornerback Brady Cook (12) stands in the pocket against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Cook was Mizzou's starting quarterback from 2022-24. The St. Louis native and Chaminade graduate won 26 games as a Mizzou starter over those three seasons, helping Missouri post back-to-back double-digit wins in 2023 and 2024.
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The quarterback will play alongside former MU teammate and right tackle Armand Membu, who was drafted seventh overall by the Jets and has started every game this season.
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Cook has recorded 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 that category at Mizzou. He is the only MU quarterback in program history with over 9,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.
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Best season by a quarterback on the roster Tigers came 2023, when he threw for 255.2 yards per game, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions in 13 starts. He also rushed for 319 yards and eight scores.
Cook played 46 games with 39 starts for Mizzou. He threw 49 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
“I’ve been nervous before every football game I’ve ever played. I'm excited. This is important,” Cook told reporters this week. “That's all I've ever done. So it's such a level of importance that it makes you nervous. But every time I (run) onto the field and take that first shot, he’s gone. It's not there, you're focused because you have no other choice. In fact, there is none.”
This article originally appeared in the Columbia Daily Tribune: Former Missouri QB Brady Cook will make his first NFL start with the Jets.
