Jared

Cook

Cook joined the Chargers on a one-year deal in the previous offseason. He finished the year, and possibly his tenure in LA, with a 48/564/4 receiving line. At 34 years old, Cook lost a step or two or three in 2021. His yards per target (6.8) and catch rate (58 percent) were both six-year lows for the veteran tight end. With Donald Parham likely coming back as an exclusive rights free agent and third-round tight end Tre’ McKitty waiting in the wings, Cook is unlikely to get another deal with the Chargers. He will look to sign another one-year deal as a role player in the spring.

Cook is back in action after missing Week 17 on the COVID list. A popular DFS streamer last week, Stephen Anderson played 78% of the Chargers’ snaps in Cook’s absence, but he was targeted just once, catching an eight-yard pass. Cook will be back to handle 60-plus percent of the snaps in a competitive game with the Raiders Sunday night.

With TE Donald Parham still in the concussion protocol, Stephen Anderson is in line to start at tight end. Anderson has only run 81 routes this season, far lower than Cook’s 424, and honestly too low to draw any major conclusions from. Still, Anderson has 18 targets this season for a healthy 22% target rate. The floor is non-existent but Anderson is in play as a TD-dependent dart throw.

Even with Mike Williams and Jalen Guyton out, Cook’s role didn’t change, with him finishing under 50 yards for the tenth straight game, though Cook helped his fantasy day by catching a two-point conversion. Cook will remain a touchdown-dependent TE2 for Week 17 against Denver.

Parham suffered a horrifying brain injury Thursday night against Kansas City. He was taken to the UCLA Harbor Medical Center and is “resting comfortably” and “alert,” according to the Chargers. Probably Parham is a long way from returning to LA’s lineup after such a traumatic injury. His absence would open up more snaps and routes for Jared Cook.

It was a night of miscues from Cook, who received a slightly off-target pass from Justin Herbert from the Chiefs’ two-yard line in the dying moments of the second quarter and bounced it up into the air for an incompletion. The Chargers failed to score on the subsequent two plays and entered halftime with zero points from the drive after getting set up at the Chiefs’ five-yard line with 0:20 remaining. The seven targets were Cook’s most since Week 6, but he has posted more than this evening’s 32 yards just once in his past 10 games. Even with Donald Parham’s (head) health uncertain, Cook remains an uninspiring TE2 headed into the fantasy semifinals against the Texans.

It’s an upgrade for Cook, who didn’t practice at all on Monday, but it warrants monitoring considering there was no news on an injury following the Chargers’ Week 14 game. Fellow TE Donald Parham was also limited with a knee injury. If he plays, Cook would be a touchdown-dependent TE2. Parham would also be in that range if he plays and Cook is inactive.

Cook’s status is an estimate by the team as the Chargers didn’t hold practice today. We haven’t heard anything on this quad injury yet so it could be nothing for the 34-year-old tight end. Donald Parham was also listed as a DNP due to a knee issue. Cook hasn’t topped 30 yards in five weeks and is nothing more than a touchdown-dependant TE2 versus the Chiefs this week.

Four of Cook’s five targets were end zone opportunities, finally delivering a one-yard touchdown with 9:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. A boom-or-bust option at his position whether Keenan Allen (COVID) is available or not, Cook remains a touchdown-viable streamer for Week 15 against the Chiefs.

Cook continued splitting reps with Donald Parham, who saw as many targets as him for the second time in three weeks. He hasn’t topped 50 yards or four catches since Week 4. Cook is nothing more than a touchdown-or-bust TE2 heading into Week 14.