Former Missouri football QB Brady Cook to make 1st NFL start with Jets

Former Missouri football quarterback Brady Cook is set to make his first professional debut.

New York Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields was ruled out of the team’s Sunday, Dec. 14 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to 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 a 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins last Saturday, has been elevated to the starting job. His replacement 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 got all the reps with those, and Adrian (Martinez) will be our backup.”

Cook completed 14 of 30 passes for 163 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions against the Dolphins. He entered the game with the Jets already leading 21-0.

The Jets will play Jacksonville on Sunday at noon CT in Jacksonville, where Mizzou, coincidentally, will play its bowl game later this month.

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“It was just a tough situation for him, not getting a chance to get all the reps,” Glenn said. “But now, this week, he had a chance to have all the reps with those, to have a chance to communicate with the O-line, with the receivers, with the tight ends, with the coaching staff about exactly how we want to play this game.”

Glenn added: “I have all the confidence in the world. That’s something I’ve said from the very beginning. (Cook will be) a good player in this league, and he’ll get 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 to 2024. The St. Louis native and Chaminade graduate won 26 games as Mizzou’s starter over those three seasons, helping Missouri record back-to-back double-digit winning years in 2023 and 2024.

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The quarterback will play alongside former MU teammate and right tackle Armand Membou, who was drafted with the 7th overall pick by the Jets and has started every game this season.

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Cook has recorded over 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 over 9,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.

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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 had 49 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

“I’ve been nervous before every football game I’ve played. I’m excited. It’s important,” Cook told reporters this week. “That’s all I’ve ever done. So there’s a certain level of importance there, it’s going to create some nerves. But every time I (run) onto the field and take that first shot, it’s gone. It’s not there, you’re focused because you have no other choice. It’s really not.”

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Former Missouri football quarterback Brady Cook will make his first NFL start with the Jets.