Mizzou's QB for the past three years is getting his shot.
Missouri football quarterback Brady Cook signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent, per a report from NFL.com's Tom Pelissero on Saturday evening. The deal was reported shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Cook, a St. Louis native and Chaminade grad who won 26 games as Mizzou's starter over the past three seasons, will link up with teammate and right tackle Armand Membou , who was drafted with the No. 7 overall pick by the Jets on Thursday.
Membou was one of three MU players drafted, as Luther Burden went in the second round to the Chicago Bears and left tackle Marcus Bryant went in the seventh round.
Here's what Cook brings to the Jets, based on his career with Missouri:
The lasting memory of Cook's time in Columbia will be his resolve in the face of adversity and injury.
He had to go to the hospital for an MRI on a high-ankle sprain mid-game in October 2024 versus Auburn. Cook returned in the third quarter on a hobbled ankle and led the Tigers to a comeback victory in one of the most remarkable stories of the college football season.
After that game, he broke his hand in a game against Alabama, but returned to the field two games later and took the Tigers to a 10-win season and bowl win. Cook played almost the entirety of the 2022 season with a torn labrum in his shoulder.
After his name was booed when he was announced as the starter before a game against top-25 Kansas State early in the 2023 season, he delivered a career day in a signature win that led to MU fans storming the field. That victory kicked off a run of back-to-back 10-win seasons for just the third time in program history , including a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State, with Cook under center.
Cook likely won't go down as the most talented quarterback in Missouri history. He will be remembered forever as the heart and soul of a team that won more games than any Mizzou team in a decade.
Perhaps the most underrated part of Cook's game over his Mizzou career was his ability as a runner. He is extremely athletic and seldom scared of diving head-first to move the chains. Over his MU career, the Tigers used his running ability in a lot of goal-to-go situations, and frequently pulled out QB-draw plays to get him involved in the run game.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, he ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash and a 1.53-second 10-yard split, both elite numbers among quarterbacks tested.
As a passer, he seldom puts the ball in danger, which was both a tremendous asset and, at times, somewhat of a frustration. He broke the SEC record for passes thrown without an interception. He also missed opportunities for big plays by overthrowing or passing up tighter windows to protect against turning the ball over.
That contributed to the part of his game where he struggled most for much of his Mizzou career: deep passes. He struggled to find receivers on passes of 15 or more yards past the line of scrimmage, especially in his final season while frequently battling injuries.
Still, in the biggest moments of his career, Cook was often exactly who MU needed to be. He led game-winning drives multiple times over the course of his Mizzou career, including a fourth-and-17 pass to Luther Burden III to help MU stay alive and beat Florida, and a 30-yard touchdown draw play to knock off Arkansas in his final home game.
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Cook registered more than 10,000-career all-purpose yards, which ranks fourth all-time at Missouri. With 9,013 career passing yards, he ranks third all-time at Mizzou. He is the only MU quarterback in program history with more than 9,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing.
The quarterback's best season with the Tigers came in 2023, when he threw for 255.2 yards per game with 21 touchdowns and five interceptions in 13 starts. He also rushed for 319 yards and eight scores.
He appeared in 46 total games for Mizzou with 39 starts. He passed for 49 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Jets sign Missouri QB Brady Cook as undrafted free agent: Pros, cons of pick
