But the undrafted rookie quarterback is set to make his third straight start when he faces the New England Patriots on Sunday in the Jets’ final home game. It’s equal parts necessity (because Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor are injured) and curiosity (because coach Aaron Glenn wants to continue evaluating him) that Cook has become a sudden starter in the NFL.
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“I haven’t taken a moment,” Cook, 24, said when asked if he had put his trip into perspective. “I think I’ll probably do it in a few weeks, but I’m in it right now. I have 10 toes and I’m going to ride this out for two weeks and do everything I can.”
“However, we will think about it in a few weeks.”
Cook was signed by the Jets after the draft after an excellent career at Missouri, where he threw for 9,008 yards and 49 touchdowns with 15 interceptions in five seasons. He also ran for 20 points.
But he only had one visit to an NFL team’s facility before the draft, and it was with the Jets. He was not selected despite his impressive resume, with his arm strength and footwork among some of the question marks over his game. And he joined the Jets as a developmental prospect.
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Seven months later, Cook is getting valuable snaps in a lost season for the Jets.
“Sometimes it seems surreal,” he said. “Obviously, four or five months ago, I definitely wasn’t expecting this. Naturally, you don’t expect something like this, right? But now that I’m in it, I’m just in it, and it’s day-to-day and it’s all day and it’s all your energy, it’s all your focus and it’s all you can think about.”
Cook was released after training camp in August and signed to the practice squad the next day. Meanwhile, Fields was the starter and Taylor was the backup. However, Fields struggled mightily and was benched. He then hurt his knee in practice earlier this month and was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday.
Taylor, the well-traveled 36-year-old veteran, replaced Fields but injured his groin. With no other options, Cook was signed to the active roster and then rose to prominence as a starter against Miami, becoming the first undrafted rookie quarterback to start for the Jets since Bill Demory in 1973.
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Taylor is healthy again, but Glenn wants to give Cook a longer look now that the Jets (3-12) are long out of playoff contention.
“He continues to understand what we’re trying to accomplish on every play, and I think he’s actually done a really good job,” offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand said. “But also understand the things we can and can’t do on each play.”
Cook’s intensive course for professionals has not yet produced great results. In three games, Cook completed 59.8% of his passes (58 of 98) for 527 yards and one touchdown and six interceptions. He has also been fired 17 times.
“My job is to make it… I don’t want to say easy because nothing is easy in the NFL and simple isn’t the right word either,” Engstrand said. “But just something where you can operate at a high level and process what’s happening so you’re not thinking, overthinking, so to speak, too much in the moment.”
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In the Jets’ 29-6 loss to the Saints last Sunday, Cook was 22 of 35 for 188 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and was sacked eight times.
“I think there are opportunities to get the ball out quicker,” Cook said. “Whether it’s a pre-snap change or a post-snap decision, I always think there’s an opportunity to get the ball out. And yeah, I’ll leave it at that.”
More than the statistics, though, Cook is impressing coaches and teammates with his poise and ability to lead.
“When you’re a leader and you’re confident, the people around you can take it and let everything else take care of itself,” wide receiver Isaiah Williams said. “It’s a tough task, definitely, as an undrafted guy. I think a lot of times, it’s just who people are. That’s what he is. He embodies that.”
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Cook will likely finish the season as a starter, including the finale in Buffalo next week. Beyond that, however, his future as a player is uncertain. Glenn did not say whether Cook could be considered a long-term option as a starter, insisting that he and the team are focused only on facing the Patriots.
The reality is that the Jets will look to add a potential starter in free agency or the draft, or both, during the offseason. And that would send Cook to the bench again as he continues to develop. But he would also be an experienced backup with a handful of games under his belt, an unexpected development in his whirlwind NFL journey.
“He knows this is a great opportunity for him, as it is for any other player,” Engstrand said. “I don’t think he’s necessarily putting more pressure on himself than he needs to or undue pressure.
“I think he’s just looking to put himself in a position to seize the moment.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL