Veteran tight end Jared Cook had a solid season with the Los Angeles Chargers. There is a ton of pass-catching talent on the team, but with a quarterback as good as Justin Herbert delivering them the ball, they were all able to produce.
Cook finished the season with 48 receptions for 564 yards and four touchdowns. The touchdowns were his fewest since 2017, but the receptions were the most he has had since 2018, as he was much more involved in the offense this season in Los Angeles. He had 83 targets, which was also his most since 2018.
Heading into his age-35 season, Cook isn’t as explosive as he once was, but he showed he is more than capable of still being a solid contributor to an offense. Most importantly, he has proven quite durable, missing only 17 games in his 13-year career.
While tight ends aren’t a huge need for many teams this season in free agency, especially with how deep the draft class is at the position, some teams will be looking to add veterans to the mix. Who are some of those teams? Here are three that could be free agent destinations for Cook this offseason.
3. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts could need some help at the tight end position this offseason. With Jack Doyle contemplating retirement and Mo Alie-Cox hitting free agency, the team could need to bring in some reinforcements.
The tight end spot is an important one in their offense, even more so if they retain Carson Wentz as their starting quarterback. Wentz always builds up a rapport with his tight end and the Colts need to ensure he has a solid one to get the ball to.
Cook would be a strong replacement should they lose the top two options on their depth chart. He provides steady production and some seam-stretching ability as well. Indianapolis needs to add some pass-catching talent this offseason and Jared Cook could be their man.
2. Tennessee Titans
Once free agency begins, the Tennessee Titans will have zero players on their depth chart at the tight end position. After losing Jonnu Smith in free agency last year, the Titans have Anthony Firkser, Geoff Swaim and MyCole Pruitt hitting free agency this year.
That is their entire tight end depth chart, so the position could undergo some big changes in the coming weeks. Bringing back one or two of them for some continuity would make sense, but as a whole, the tight end spot was underwhelming for Tennessee in 2021.
The Titans trio had a combined PFF grade that ranked them 24th in the league. Upgrading wouldn’t hurt, and Cook would present that. It would be a reunion for the two sides, as Cook was drafted by the Titans in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft and spent the first four seasons of his career there.
1. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals pass catchers could look a lot different in 2021 than they did at the end of the 2021 campaign. They have numerous wide receivers and tight ends that are hitting free agency that may be difficult to retain.
One positive is that the team will still have DeAndre Hopkins at wide receiver even if they lose some depth. But, the same cannot be said about the tight end spot, as Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams are hitting free agency.
Jared Cook would be a solid replacement as the pass-catching tight end in the air raid offense. He won’t break the bank, enabling them to spend big resources at other positions of need on the roster. Cook is older than Ertz and Williams but has shown he has something left in the tank to offer.
