The New York Jets are set to feature a new backup quarterback against the Miami Dolphins this week.
Justin Fields has been sidelined due to knee soreness, paving the way for practice squad quarterback Brady Cook to step up. Cook will serve as Tyrod Taylor’s backup when the Jets face the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium this Sunday afternoon.
With the Jets holding a 3-9 record, Cook’s elevation is significant for several reasons. NFL teams are allowed to temporarily elevate up to two practice squad players for each game without officially adding them to the 53-man roster. This will mark the third time Cook has been elevated this season, which is the maximum allowed.
If the Jets wish to elevate Cook a fourth time, they would need to formally sign him to their 53-man roster. As the team nears the brink of playoff elimination, Cook might have the chance to see some on-field action before the season concludes.
Cook, 24, joined the Jets as an undrafted free agent from Missouri shortly after the NFL Draft last April. Since the team did not draft a quarterback, Cook has been developing with the Jets, aiming to make his mark in the league.
The Jets signed Cook, 24, as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri shortly following last April’s NFL Draft. They did not draft a quarterback, so Cook has been serving as their developmental quarterback.
“He’s a very fiery guy,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said about Cook. “The one thing we do quite a bit in practice is we have a number of competition periods and you exactly see how he goes about his business when his time comes up to be in that situation to compete. He looks forward to it, he always asks when those opportunities are going to come for him to do it, and we make sure we give him his reps.
“He’s a very competitive guy. He’s going to be a quarterback in this league. I can’t tell you when, but he will be a quarterback in this league.”
Cook, being the Jets backup against Miami, could likely spell the end of Fields’ time with the Jets. Glenn told reporters that they would see how Fields’ knee “progresses” to determine his status for next week’s game at Jacksonville.
After signing a two-year, $40 million contract in March, Fields was supposed to be the next quarterback in line to revitalize his career with a different team, similar to the paths of Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. But he has had a catastrophic season, highlighted by poor play, which led to Fields being criticized by Jets owner Woody Johnson at the NFL Fall Meetings in October.
In nine games, Fields has thrown for 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception. But he is 29th out of 31 qualified quarterbacks in QBR (38.7).
Fields has not played since the Jets’ Nov. 13 game against the Patriots after he was benched for Taylor. The Jets’ passing attack was the worst in the league with Fields under center because he held the ball too long in the pocket. When he did pass the ball, Fields would often take checkdowns to avoid risking interceptions down the field.
Fields is set to make $20 million in 2026, including $10 million guaranteed. He is under contract through 2026, but it’s hard to see any scenario in which the Jets would bring Fields back.
The Jets currently hold the seventh position in the 2026 NFL Draft. But after dealing both Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline last month, they should have plenty of draft capital to trade up for any quarterback of their choosing.
Which is why the Jets, once they are officially eliminated from playoff contention, could decide to play Cook during the final month of the season. Not that he would solve the Jets’ quarterback woes, but it is possible Cook could turn into a viable backup QB.
“Obviously, from a personal level, you are always looking for that next opportunity,” Cook said. “This is mine to back up Tyrod this week. It’s a pleasure, I’m excited.”
At 6-2, 215 pounds, Cook is exceptionally athletic, as shown by his 4.59 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He can also make throws to all three levels of the football field with his above-average arm.
In five seasons at Missouri, Cook passed for 9,251 yards, 50 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Injuries and a lack of consistent accuracy were a primary reason Cook went undrafted. But he has a lot of upside, which is why the Jets signed him to their practice squad.
Given Taylor’s extensive injury history, Cook could take snaps this season, whether it’s this week against the Dolphins or in the Jets’ remaining four games in 2025.
“During this rookie year, I’ve seen big jumps, which is probably normal,” Cook said. “You get here, it feels like a lot, you feel like a lot is thrown at you. As the weeks go by and you watch how Tyrod, how Justin go about it. How they learn the offense, how they handle everything, it is becoming a lot smoother.”
