Brady Cook is already doing something Justin Fields barely accomplished with Jets

The New York Jets may have been taken behind the woodshed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Week 15 game that began with an utterly pathetic first-half showing, but one small silver lining is that rookie quarterback Brady Cook didn't appear to be overwhelmed in making his first career start on the road.

Cook, who is starting after both Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields went down with injuries, is looking much better than he did during his first extended action against the Miami Dolphins. Cook already hit 50 passing yards in the first half, which isn't always a guarantee for Jets quarterbacks.

Cook managed to cross the 50 passing yards plateau in the first half, which eclipses the total that Fields put up in three of his starts. While this does show that Cook is calm and collected against a defense that is known for creating turnovers, this is as much a stat about Fields as it is about Cook.

Fields has been getting straight-up outplayed by Cook despite having better personnel around him due to recent injuries. Any Fields fan is going to have a tough time trying to explain this away.

Jets QB Brady Cook hit 50 passing yards in first half, looks better than Justin Fields

Cook ended the first half 9-of-13 passing for 73 yards with one touchdown and one interception without WR1 Garrett Wilson or TE1 Mason Taylor. While he did go 6-6 on a scoring drive that ended with his first career touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell, he was also intercepted by Montaric Brown on an errant throw.

One thing Cook already has over Fields is the ability to quickly get the ball out of his hands rather than holding it forever. With a 4.60 40-yard dash in his back pocket as well, Cook has the ability to make something happen with his legs if needed. That athleticism could help him stick around.

While Cook doesn't have the arm talent needed to become a franchise quarterback, the Missouri product might be able to show enough in these next few games to warrant some consideration for the 2026 roster, be it as a young backup or a more trusted QB3.

While this shows Cook may be a serviceable passer, the fact that Fields has been unable to pass a barrier that the undrafted rookie managed to break through with minimal effort is a sign that his days as a starting quarterback in the NFL appear to have been fully numbered.