ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The question seemed to catch Jared Cook by surprise, even if the topic has been on the mind of many of late.
Would you like to be in Oakland next year?
Cook, the Oakland Raiders tight end who is enjoying his finest NFL season in his 10th year, paused as his brow furrowed before he unleashed a big smile.
“Yeah, of course,” Cook said, before laughing. “I mean, who don’t want a job? You don’t want a job next year?”
And therein lies the rub.
Although Cook has been playing at a Pro Bowl level for Oakland, he is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the Raiders are 3-10, in the middle of a youth movement and roster rebuild and aren’t exactly sure where they will be playing home games next season before moving to Las Vegas in 2020.
Surely, coach Jon Gruden, who loves his veterans, especially ones who produce and are positive locker room influences (check and double-check for Cook), would be on board for a Cook re-signing, yes?
Depends upon what Gruden the personnel man (in the absence of a replacement for fired general manager Reggie McKenzie) thinks. Coach Gruden, though, is all for it. Especially after Cook caught seven passes for 116 yards in the Raiders’ 24-21 defeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend, Gruden going so far as to call him the team MVP.
Just a reminder @JaredCook89 did this to another grown man - he deserves to go to the Pro Bowl. #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/cLMphClheV
— Kyle Martin (@KylesFeed) December 13, 2018
“Hopefully it’s on a high priority, whoever the general manager is, we’ll show him some tape of Jared Cook,” Gruden said. “This guy has been dazzling as a receiver. We’ve been able to put him in so many different positions -- in the slot, at wide receiver -- his conditioning, his stamina, his competitiveness, his running after the catch. I’m really excited about the season he’s had. Hopefully we get him back.”
Cook has already set career highs with 61 catches, 825 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns, and the Raiders still have three games to go, beginning Sunday at the Cincinnati Bengals. He leads Oakland in receptions, receiving yards, TD catches and targets (88) and is quarterback Derek Carr’s security blanket.
This season, Cook is fourth among tight ends in yards and second in 100-yard receiving games (four).
“It’s been impressive,” said Raiders receiver Jordy Nelson. “I think the thing that’s stuck out the most to me this year is not only the plays he’s making, but the way he’s running after he catches the ball. He’s doing it with an attitude and finishing, and he’s a big guy, probably not the most enjoyable person to hit. So he’s taking advantage of that.
“Coach Gruden is doing a great job of putting matchups to where he can be successful, Derek and him are, obviously, forming that chemistry over a couple of years now that they’ve been together. It’s fun to watch. He’s full of energy, so it’s awesome.”
The Raiders are Cook’s fourth stop after he signed a two-year, $10.6 million free-agent deal with Oakland in March 2017. Originally a third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2009 out of South Carolina, Cook has also spent time with the Rams and Green Bay Packers.
Cook holds the single-game receiving-yards record for a tight end for three teams (169 yards for the Titans in 2011, 141 yards for the Rams in 2013 and 180 for the Raiders in this season’s opener) and seems primed for a big payday.
“He’s a really unique talent,” Gruden said.
“This guy is a hell of a football player. If he’s not a Pro Bowler, I hope there’s an investigation.”
This much is clear, though -- Cook is vibing with Carr.
“We’ve just been working,” Cook said. “... Always knowing what he’s thinking and knowing his thought process as a quarterback is important. Just trying to stay on the same page with him and continuously communicating with him. We’re doing the best we can to keep that rapport.”
But will the Raiders pony up?
That question won’t truly be answered until the offseason.