Jets are playing a dangerous QB game with Brady Cook in Week 3

The New York Jets are walking into their Week 3 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sporting a precarious quarterback situation. With Justin Fields sidelined by a concussion, veteran Tyrod Taylor is set to get the starting nod.

It's a move that makes perfect sense given his experience and capability. The real problem potentially lurks one snap behind him in the form of undrafted rookie Brady Cook.

An undrafted rookie out of Missouri, Cook will serve as the Jets' backup quarterback after being elevated from the practice squad this weekend to replace Fields.

While Cook showed flashes during the preseason, the Jets are likely hoping to avoid a scenario where their rookie third-stringer is forced into action this early in his career. Unfortunately, given Taylor's lengthy injury history, they're playing a dangerous game.

The Jets are essentially betting their Week 3 hopes on Taylor's durability and Cook's readiness for a moment that could arrive without warning. One bad hit could change everything.

Brady Cook will be the Jets' backup QB in Week 3

Taylor stepping in as the starter isn't inherently problematic. The longtime NFL QB is a proven veteran who can manage games and is generally able to avoid catastrophic mistakes. The issue lies in treating him as a reliable safety net.

Taylor's career has been defined by untimely injuries that have opened doors for other quarterbacks to steal his job. His 2023 season with the Giants ended abruptly due to injury, paving the way for Tommy DeVito's unexpected rise.

Counting on Taylor to stay healthy for an entire game, let alone multiple weeks, is tempting fate a little. Taylor was already seen wincing after taking a hard hit in the fourth quarter of last week's game.

Cook flashed at times in the preseason and was able to beat out current San Francisco 49ers QB2 Adrian Martinez for the Jets' third-string job. However, there's a massive difference between looking competent against third-string defenses and stepping into a hostile NFL environment on the road.

Head coach Aaron Glenn has expressed confidence in Cook's abilities, but confidence doesn't substitute for experience when facing NFL pass rushers and complex defensive schemes. If Cook is forced into action in today's game, the Jets could be in some trouble.

Of course, the same would be true for most teams if their third-string quarterback were asked to play. Most teams don't exactly keep proven veterans as their third option either.

Still, the Jets have to be praying that Taylor is able to stay on the field for however long Fields is sidelined. The team may be high on Cook as a developmental practice squad quarterback, but throwing him into live NFL action this early would be a baptism by fire nobody wants to see.

Here's to hoping Taylor stays healthy and the Jets never have to find out just how ready Brady Cook really is.

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