Brady Cook enters Jets training camp with his NFL future at stake

We're still a couple of months out from the start of New York Jets training camp, so in the meantime, The Jet Press is kicking off our 2026 Jets Camp Countdown series, where we’ll be breaking down a different player on the roster every single day until camp begins in late July.

The series will also include daily videos over on The Jet Press TikTok and YouTube channels, because apparently discussing QB4 battles in May is how some of us choose to spend our free time. It's what we do.

We'll be kicking off this series today with the Undrafted Icon, the Dude from Mizzou, the St. Louis Slinger, the Tank Commander himself, Brady Cook.

Cook’s 2025 season was, for all intents and purposes, a disaster. The former Missouri quarterback went 0-4 as a starter, tossed seven interceptions to just two touchdowns, and looked overwhelmed in a nightmare situation down the stretch.

At the same time, the Jets essentially dropped an undrafted rookie quarterback into one of the worst offensive situations in the NFL and asked him to survive. Those two things can both be true.

So entering another summer in Florham Park, where exactly does Brady Cook stand?

Where Brady Cook stands entering Jets training camp

Cook currently sits fourth on the Jets’ quarterback depth chart behind Geno Smith, Cade Klubnik, and Bailey Zappe.

Smith was brought back this offseason after a disappointing year with the Raiders and is expected to open the season as the starter, while Klubnik is viewed as the organization’s long-term developmental backup after being selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Zappe already has NFL experience and appears to have the inside track for the QB2 or QB3 role as things currently stand. The Jets also remain loosely connected to veteran quarterbacks on the open market.

Russell Wilson recently visited the team and is still weighing whether he wants to continue playing or transition into broadcasting, while Cooper Rush and Joshua Dobbs remain available as veteran depth options. Tyrod Taylor was once considered a possibility, but he has since signed with the Packers.

If the Jets add another veteran quarterback before camp, Cook could realistically find himself battling just to survive early roster cuts.

Revisiting Brady Cook’s disastrous rookie season

There is really no sugarcoating how brutal Cook looked last year. He completed just 57.5 percent of his passes, threw two touchdowns and seven interceptions, and averaged an ugly 4.8 yards per attempt across four starts.

The offense looked completely non-functional for most of his time as a starter. Jets fans who lived through the Luke Falk, Bryce Petty, and Tim Boyle eras probably felt a little bit of deja vu watching Cook try to keep the offense afloat late in the season.

His tape was as rough as the numbers suggest. Cook's ball placement was inconsistent, his pocket presence was a mess, and far too many drives ended with bad decisions or errant throws.

Cook did not look like an NFL quarterback, but the context does matter here. The Jets had essentially shifted into full tank mode by December.

Cook was throwing to practice receivers while trying to operate an offense filled with reserve players and guys signed off the street. It was almost impossible to fairly evaluate any young quarterback in that environment, let alone an undrafted rookie making emergency starts.

It’s also worth remembering that Cook actually had a solid preseason. He beat out former UFL MVP Adrian Martinez for a roster spot and completed nearly 66 percent of his passes in exhibition play while looking like a perfectly competent developmental quarterback.

What would make 2026 a success for Brady Cook

At this point, success for Cook is less so about becoming the Jets’ future starter and more so about proving he belongs in an NFL quarterback room at all. The physical tools are still there.

He has decent size, solid athleticism, and enough arm talent to intrigue coaches. What he needs to show this summer is that he can actually function within the structure of an NFL offense. The ball placement has to improve. The pocket awareness has to improve. The processing speed has to improve.

If Cook can show meaningful growth in those areas during camp and the preseason, there is still a realistic path for him to stick on the practice squad as a developmental option.

Every NFL team needs camp arms and preseason quarterbacks. Brady Cook just needs to prove he deserves to remain one of them.

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