Brady Cook's Jets Outlook Is Brighter Than Ever Despite Loss to Buccaneers

It hasn't taken the 24-year-old signal-caller to go from potential cut candidate to the QB3 frontrunner.

Brady Cook did himself a lot of favors with how he performed against the Buccaneers during Friday's preseason opener. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Friday marked the start of the Jets' preseason, offering head coach Aaron Glenn the opportunity to test his players against an actual opponent for the first time. Much to Glenn's dismay, though, the 24-16 loss to the Buccaneers—while offering some bright spots—proved that the Jets still have a lot to work on if they want to push for a playoff spot during the regular season.

Although it's easy to pile on the negatives, one positive aspect coming from Friday's loss was second-year quarterback Brady Cook's performance. The 24-year-old signal-caller gave the Jets plenty of reasons to feel optimistic after some hope was lost due to a forgettable rookie campaign, making it interesting to see what impact that showing will have on New York's QB rankings moving forward.

Brady Cook showed improvements in preseason loss vs. Bucs

With an ankle injury keeping QB1 Geno Smith on the sidelines, the Jets used a mix of Cook, Cade Klubnik and Bailey Zappe throughout four quarters at MetLife Stadium. It was "only" the preseason, sure, but it wasn't hard to see that the ex-Missouri Tiger was New York's best quarterback on the night.

Remaining poised under pressure, Cook went 9-of-15 in the pocket for 108 passing yards and an 82.1 passer rating. His output nearly doubled that of Klubnik (56 yards on 5-of-7 passing), and he also avoided putting the Jets behind the eight-ball, unlike Zappe, who handed the Buccaneers a pair of interceptions—including one returned for a 47-yard touchdown.

Was Brady Cook perfect on Friday night? No, but he showed enough improvements to remain in the mix—if not be the frontrunner—for the Jets' QB3 job. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cook even showcased some footwork at one point, scrambling up the middle for an eight-yard run towards the end of the third quarter. He was also sacked once for an eight-yard loss, whereas the Jets lost 16 yards on the two times that Zappe was sacked.

By the time the final whistle blew, Cook finished the preseason loss with the best offense (70.9) and passing (65.9) grades among Jets QBs on Pro Football Focus. In fact, his offensive grade was the fourth-best among New York's non-offensive linemen.

Looking ahead...

One game is a small sample size, but it was more than enough for Cook to show that the Jets that he's a viable third-string candidate. That's exactly what the Jets need behind Smith, as his 36th birthday approaches in October, and Klubnik, who is New York's most inexperienced quarterback option (despite the potential he oozes).

With that being said, Jets fans will likely see a lot of Cook (and Klubnik) next week's preseason clash with the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Glenn & Co. have no reason to risk Smith re-injuring his ankle this close to the regular season, and it's safe to say that Zappe provided enough reasons to leave him on the bench (or cut him altogether).

The Steelers notched a 28-9 win over the Packers in their preseason opener, giving them some momentum. Beating Pittsburgh after a victory like that would provide Cook with even more confidence and a bigger stranglehold on the QB3 job. The opportunities to dice up the secondary should be there, as the Steelers allowed 243.9 passing yards per game (29th) and 30 touchdown passes (T-23rd) last season.

Mike McCarthy's Steelers should be a good measuring stick for Brady Cook's outlook heading into the Jets' 2026 season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It wasn't that long ago when Jets experts and fans were ready to write off Cook after one year in Gotham.

A strong offseason can completely change a player's trajectory, though, and that's what happened with the 24-year-old passer, who's quickly proven that Gang Green's third-string QB job is his to lose after Friday.

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