10 Insights: Justin Herbert Gets Reliable Red Zone Target in Jared Cook

Mar 18, 2021 at 06:13 PM

Chris Hayre

TEAM REPORTER

Below are 10 quick-hitting insights on new Chargers tight end Jared Cook:

1) Over the last three seasons, only the Chiefs' Travis Kelce (26) has more receiving touchdowns among tight ends than Cook (22), a two-time Pro Bowler.

2) The Chargers will be Cook's sixth NFL team. His 41 career receiving touchdowns have come from 12 different quarterbacks, including future Hall of Famers Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.

3) Cook will be reunited with Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. The two spent the last two seasons together with the New Orleans Saints.

4) Last season against the Chargers, Cook caught a 41-yard touchdown from Brees to tie the game at 20-20 in the fourth quarter of "Monday Night Football." The Saints eventually won 30-27 despite four passing touchdowns from Justin Herbert.

5) Cook is no stranger to the AFC West. Before joining the Saints in 2019, he spent two seasons with the Raiders. In 2018, Cook set career highs in targets (101), receptions (68) and yards (896).

6) Cook, a third-round selection from South Carolina, is just one of 11 from the 2009 NFL Draft who were still playing in the league last season. He's also the only remaining active tight end of the 19 drafted that year.

7) At 6-foot-5, 246 pounds, Cook will join a tight ends room that includes 6-8, 237-pound Donald Parham Jr. In his first NFL season, three of Parham Jr's. 10 receptions went for touchdowns.

8) While Cook is a red zone threat – 22 of his 41 career touchdowns were inside 20 yards – he also has big-play ability. In 12 seasons, he has 100 career receptions of 20 yards or more.

9) Last season, Saints quarterbacks had a passer rating of 122.4 when targeting Cook, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

10) Also per PFF: Cook lined up in the slot on 56.2 percent of his pass snaps in 2020. He was lined up out wide 28.4 percent of the time – a career high.