4 players the NY Jets need to bench after the bye week

3. Dalvin Cook, RB, NY Jets

Anyone who watched Dalvin Cook's 2022 tape or paid attention to the myriad of analytics that showcased his decline shouldn't be surprised about how the 2023 season has gone for the former Pro Bowl running back.

At his peak, Cook was one of the most explosive and talented players at his position. Unfortunately, after years of racking up touches, his peak is well behind him at this stage.

The Jets signed Cook to serve as running-back depth while Breece Hall was recovering from his torn ACL. While the team didn't expect prime Dalvin Cook, they at least expected to see a capable complement to their star running back.

That hasn't been the case. Cook ranks dead last in the NFL in RYOE/attempt with a woeful -1.45. That means Cook is averaging 1.45 yards less than he should per carry. His 2.8 yards per carry is also the worst in the entire league.

The Jets are seemingly aware of this, too, given Cook's increasingly limited snap count. He's played fewer snaps in every game since Week 1, posting a season-low nine snaps this past week against the Eagles.

Cook is a liability on the field and quite literally the worst running back in football this season. Again, this shouldn't come as a surprise, given that Cook also ranked last in RYOE last season. The signs of a decline were evident.

The Jets would be wise to give Cook's snaps to Breece Hall, Michael Carter, and even rookie Israel Abanikanda. It's time to end the Cook experiment — an experiment that probably should have never even taken place in the first place.