Jared Cook
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Jared Alan Cook (born April 7, 1987) is an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
who is a free agent. He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at the University of South Carolina and was drafted by the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
in the third round of the
2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...
. He has also played for the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arri ...
,
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
,
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
,
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
and
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
.


Early years

Cook attended
North Gwinnett High School North Gwinnett High School is a public high school outside the city limits of Suwanee, Georgia, United States. It is part of the district Gwinnett County Public Schools. The school's principal is Nathan Ballantine. History North Gwinnett High ...
in
Suwanee, Georgia Suwanee is a city in Gwinnett County and a northeastern suburb of Atlanta in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,355; this had grown to an estimated 20,907 as of 2019. Portions of Forsyth and Fulton counties ...
. While there, he played wide receiver for the Bulldogs
high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
team. As a senior, he caught 32 passes for 800 yards and ten
touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether Rush (gridiron football), running, Forward pass, passing, returning a Kickoff (gridiron football), kickoff or Punt (gridiron football), punt, or recovering a Turno ...
. He also competed in
track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
as a high jumper.


College career

Cook played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at the University of South Carolina under head coach
Steve Spurrier Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former American football, football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often ...
. During his career he started 15 of 36 games for the
Gamecocks A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...
at
tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
, finishing his career with 73 receptions for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns.


Professional career

Cook entered the 2009 NFL Draft and attended the
NFL Scouting Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footb ...
in
Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
. He was projected to be a third round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Cook was ranked as the fourth best tight end prospect in the draft by NFL draft analyst
Mike Mayock Michael Francis Mayock (born August 14, 1958) is a former American football executive and former player who served as the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) from 2019 to 2021. Mayock was a safety with ...
.


Tennessee Titans

The
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
selected Cook in the third round (89th overall) of the
2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...
. The Tennessee Titans traded their second round pick in the
2010 NFL Draft The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
to the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in order to draft Cook. Cook was the third tight end drafted in 2009.


2009 season

On July 2, 2009, the Tennessee Titans signed Cook to a four-year, $2.45 million
contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
that included a
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $711,000. Throughout training camp, Cook competed against Alge Crumpler and Craig Stevens for a role as the primary backup tight end. Head coach
Jeff Fisher Jeffrey Michael Fisher (born February 25, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach and general manager for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL). He is a former cornerback and return specialist. He ...
named Cook the fourth tight end on the Titans' depth chart to begin the regular season, behind
Bo Scaife Oliver Edward "Bo" Scaife, III (born January 6, 1981) is a former American football tight end. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas. Early years Scaife a ...
, Alge Crumpler, and Craig Stevens. On September 20, 2009, he made his professional debut in the Titans' Week 2 loss to the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
after being a healthy scratch the previous week. On October 4, 2009, Cook caught two passes for 11 yards during a 37–17 loss at the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
in Week 4. Cook caught his first NFL reception from quarterback
Kerry Collins Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, ...
for a five-yard gain in the third quarter. In Week 5, he made a season-high three receptions for 27 yards in the Titans' 31–9 loss to the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. Cook finished his rookie season with nine receptions for 74 receiving yards in 14 games and no starts.


2010 season

Cook competed against Craig Stevens throughout training camp to be the second tight end on the depth chart after
Alge Crumpler Algernon Darius Crumpler (; born December 23, 1977) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He pla ...
departed during
free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
. Offensive coordinator
Mike Heimerdinger Michael Heimerdinger (October 13, 1952 – September 30, 2011) was an American football coach who held various coordinator and position coach roles during eighteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He began his career by coaching hi ...
named Cook the third tight end on the depth chart to start the season, behind Bo Scaife and Craig Stevens. On December 19, 2010, Cook earned his first career start after Bo Scaife was benched as a possible result of comments he made about a divided locker room. He finished the Titans 31–17 victory against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
with three catches for 42 receiving yards. On December 26, 2010, Cook caught five passes for a season-high 96 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown during a 34–14 loss at the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
. He caught a 22-yard touchdown reception off a pass by quarterback Kerry Collins in the third quarter to mark his first career touchdown. In Week 17, he caught a season-high seven passes for 57 yards as the Titans lost 23–20 at the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. Cook appeared in all 16 games and made one start in 2010 while making 29 receptions for 361 receiving yards and a touchdown. He also had a career-high six combined tackles on special teams.


2011 season

On January 28, 2011, the Titans fired head coach Jeff Fisher after they finished fourth in the
AFC South The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 2002 s ...
with a 6-10 record in 2010. During training camp, Cook competed to be the starting tight end against Craig Stevens after Bo Scaife departed during free agency. Head coach
Mike Munchak Michael Anthony Munchak (born March 5, 1960) is an American professional football coach and former player. A graduate of Penn State, Munchak played left guard for the Houston Oilers from 1982 until 1993 and was a nine-time selection to the Pro B ...
named Cook the second tight end on the depth chart to start the regular season, behind Craig Stevens. On October 2, 2011, Cook caught two passes for 93 yards and scored on an 80-yard touchdown reception from quarterback
Matt Hasselbeck Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the sixth round ...
during a 31–13 win at the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
. In Week 15, he had a season-high nine catches for 103 yards as the Titans lost at the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
by a score of 27–13. The following week, Cook caught eight passes for a season-high 169 yards and a touchdown during a 23–17 win at the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
in Week 16. Cook caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in the first quarter. Cook appeared in all 16 games and had five starts in 2011 while catching 49 passes for a career-high 759 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He also made five solo tackles while appearing on special teams in 2011.


2012 season

Cook returned as the secondary tight end behind Craig Stevens in 2012 under offensive coordinator Chris Palmer. In Week 3, Cook made four receptions for a season-high 77 yards and a touchdown in a 44–41 win against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. On November 25, he caught a season-high six passes for 47 yards during a 24–19 loss at the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
. On December 9, 2012, Cook caught three passes for 20 yards and a touchdown before exiting during a 27–23 loss at the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
due to an injury. Cook finished the 2012 season with 44 receptions for 523 yards and four touchdown receptions in 13 games and five starts.


2013 season

During the offseason, Cook requested the Titans to
franchise tag In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has on ...
him as a wide receiver, which attracts a bigger pay. However, the Titans chose to decline and Cook became an unrestricted free agent. He reportedly received interest from multiple teams, including the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
,
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
,
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, and
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arri ...
.


St. Louis Rams

On March 12, 2013, the St. Louis Rams signed Cook to a five-year, $35.10 million contract with $16 million guaranteed where he was reunited with Jeff Fisher.


2013 season

Cook entered training camp slated as the starting tight end. Head coach Jeff Fisher named Cook the starter to begin the regular season. He made his Rams' debut in their season-opener against the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
and caught a season-high seven passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns in a 27–24 win. He fumbled a possible touchdown in the first quarter as it was stripped by
Tyrann Mathieu Tyrann Devine Mathieu (; born May 13, 1992) is an American football safety for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU. In college he developed a reputation for causing turnovers, setting a ...
and recovered by
Karlos Dansby Karlos Montez Dansby (born November 3, 1981) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football for Auburn University and received All-American recognition. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round o ...
for a touchback. Cook caught his first touchdown of the season on a 13-yard pass from quarterback
Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the P ...
during the second quarter. Cook finished his first season with the Rams with 51 receptions for 671 receiving yards and a career-high five touchdowns in 16 games and 13 starts.


2014 season

Cook entered training camp slated as the starting tight end, but saw competition for the role from
Lance Kendricks Lance Ronnie Kendricks (born January 30, 1988) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Wisconsin, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of t ...
. Offensive coordinator
Brian Schottenheimer Brian Cornelius Schottenheimer (born October 16, 1973) is an American football coach who is currently a coaching analyst for the Dallas Cowboys. Schottenheimer most recently served as the Offensive coordinator, passing game coordinator and quar ...
named Cook the secondary tight end, behind Lance Kendricks. On September 21, Cook caught a season-high seven passes for 75 yards during a 34–31 loss to the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
in Week 3. In Week 10, he had two receptions for 84 yards and caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from Sam Bradford in the Rams' 31–14 loss at the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. Cook finished the 2014 season with 52 receptions for 634 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games and six starts.


2015 season

Head coach Jeff Fisher named Cook and Lance Kendricks the starting tight ends to start the regular season as the Rams chose to primarily use two-tight end sets. He started in the Rams' season-opener against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
and caught five passes for a season-high 85 yards in a 34–31 victory. Cook appeared in all 16 games with 12 starts and caught 39 passes for 481 receiving yards and was held without a touchdown reception for the first time since his rookie season. Cook played in 70% of the Rams' offensive snaps and led their tight ends with 672 offensive snaps.


2016 season

During the offseason, Cook was expected to be cut by the St. Louis Rams due to his $8.30 million cap number in 2016. On February 19, 2016, the Rams officially released Cook, freeing $5.69 million in cap space. As an unrestricted free agent, Cook received interest from a few teams and attended a meeting with the Green Bay Packers.


Green Bay Packers

On March 28, 2016, the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
signed Cook to a one-year, $2.75 million contract with $875,000 guaranteed. On June 3, 2016, it was reported that Cook underwent surgery on his foot. The surgery was deemed a preventive measure and his recovery caused him to miss the majority of training camp. On August 9, 2016, Cook returned from his injury and fully participated in training camp. His absence significantly delayed his ability to become the primary tight end for the Green Bay Packers and he was subsequently named the secondary starting tight end to begin the regular season, behind
Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...
. On September 25, 2016, Cook caught a pass for a 15-yard gain before exiting in the second quarter of the Packers' 34–27 victory against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
after spraining his ankle. Cook was subsequently inactive for the next six games (Weeks 4–10) due to the ankle injury. His injury ended his 51-game streak of consecutive game appearances. On November 20, Cook returned from his injury and caught a season-high six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown during a 42–24 loss at the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. During the fourth quarter, Cook caught a six-yard pass from quarterback
Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...
, but had it stripped away by cornerback
Josh Norman Joshua Ricardo Norman (born December 15, 1987) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at Coastal Carolina and was drafted by the Panthers in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and has also played f ...
. Cook finished his single season with the Packers with 30 receptions for 377 receiving yards and a touchdown in ten games and five starts. Cook received an overall grade of 81.0 from Pro Football Focus and ranked 11th among all qualified tight ends in 2016. The Packers finished first in the
NFC North The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough ri ...
with a 10–6 record and earned a playoff berth. On January 8, 2017, Cook appeared in his first career playoff game and caught five passes for 48 yards during a 38–13 win against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in the NFC Wildcard Game. On January 15, 2017, Cook made six receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown as the Packers' defeated the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
34–31 in the NFC Divisional Round. During the fourth quarter, Cook caught a 36-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers along the sideline with three seconds left to set up the Packers' game-winning 51-yard field goal by
Mason Crosby Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Packers chos ...
. The following week, Cook started in the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
and caught seven passes for 78 yards and a touchdown during a 44–21 loss at the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
. Cook became an unrestricted free agent after the season ended and began visiting teams after he was unable to agree to terms for a new contract with the Green Bay Packers. He attended meetings with multiple teams, including the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
,
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
, and
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
.


Oakland Raiders


2017 season

On March 16, 2017, the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
signed Cook to a two-year, $10.60 million contract with $5 million guaranteed. Cook entered training camp slated as the starting tight end, but saw competition from both
Clive Walford Clive Walford (born October 21, 1991) is a former American football tight end. He played college football for the University of Miami and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Early years Walford attended ...
and
Lee Smith Lee Smith is the name of: Arts, entertainment and media *Lee Smith (fiction author) (born 1944), American author of fiction *Lee Smith (film editor) (born 1960), Australian film editor *Lee Smith (musician) (born 1983), American drummer *Lee Smith ...
. Head coach
Jack Del Rio Jack Louis Del Rio Jr. (born April 4, 1963) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a linebacker at the University of South ...
officially named Cook the starting tight end at the start the regular season. Cook made his Raiders debut in their season-opener against the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
and made five receptions for 56 yards in a 26–16 victory. In Week 3, Cook caught four passes for 43 receiving yards and a touchdown during a 27–10 loss at the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. He caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback
Derek Carr Derek Dallas Carr (born March 28, 1991) is an American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Fresno State, where he twice received first-team All- MWC honors, and wa ...
to mark his first touchdown as a Raider. On October 19, Cook caught six passes for 107 yards as the Raiders defeated the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
31–30 on ''
Thursday Night Football ''Thursday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''TNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time (8:20 prior to 20 ...
''. In Week 9, he had a season-high 126 receiving yards on eight receptions during a 27–24 victory against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
on Sunday Night Football. Cook started in all 16 games for the first time in his career and made a then career-high 54 receptions for 688 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, he earned an overall grade of 52.8 from
Pro Football Focus Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...
, which ranked 36th among all qualified tight ends in 2017.


2018 season

During ''Monday Night Football'' against the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
in Week 1, Cook finished with 180 receiving yards as the Raiders lost by a score of 33–13. His 180 receiving yards are a Raiders' franchise record for a tight end. In Week 4, a 45–42 overtime victory over the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
, Cook had eight receptions for 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In Week 14 against the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, he caught seven passes for 116 yards in a 24-21 victory. Cook finished the 2018 season setting career-highs in receptions (68), receiving yards (896), and touchdowns (6). Cook was named to his first Pro Bowl after the season concluded as a replacement for
Travis Kelce Travis Michael Kelce (; born October 5, 1989) is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft and later won Super Bowl LIV ...
.


New Orleans Saints

On March 26, 2019, Cook signed a two-year contract worth $15.5 million with the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
.


2019 season

Cook made his Saints debut in the season-opener against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
, catching two passes for 37 yards in the narrow 30-28 victory. During Week 5 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
, Cook caught four passes for 41 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season in the 31-24 win. In the next game against the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, he caught three passes for 37 yards and a touchdown. During Week 12 against the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
, Cook caught six passes for 99 yards and a touchdown in the 34–31 victory. Two weeks later against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, Cook caught two passes for 64 yards, both for touchdowns, but left the eventual 48-46 defeat with a head concussion. He was later diagnosed with a concussion and was ruled out for the rest of the game. During Week 16 against the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, Cook caught three passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns in the 38–28 road victory. Overall, he finished the 2019 season with 43 receptions for 705 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns.


2020 season

In Week 2 against his former team, the
Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West divis ...
on ''Monday Night Football'', Cook caught 2 passes for 13 yards and his first touchdown reception of the season during the 34–24 loss. On March 3, 2021, Cook was released by the Saints.


Los Angeles Chargers

On March 18, 2021, the Chargers signed Cook to a one-year, $6 million contract with $4.5 million guaranteed.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Postseason


References


External links


New Orleans Saints bio

Oakland Raiders bio


* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Jared 1987 births Living people People from Suwanee, Georgia North Gwinnett High School alumni Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state) Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama American football tight ends South Carolina Gamecocks football players Tennessee Titans players St. Louis Rams players Green Bay Packers players Oakland Raiders players New Orleans Saints players Los Angeles Chargers players National Conference Pro Bowl players American Conference Pro Bowl players Ed Block Courage Award recipients