6 notable former Chargers who are still without a team

Jared Cook

Long-time readers of mine here at Bolt Beat (thank you for the continual support!) know that I was not a fan of the Jared Cook signing when it happened in the 2021 offseason. Cook is a vertical threat tight end who is very obviously at the end of his career and was already regressing before the 2021 season.

I argued that Cook would start to tail off towards the end of the season and by the time the playoffs rolled around he would not be a reliable option. The Chargers may not have made the playoffs but that is pretty much what happened with many fans outraged at his drops and mental lapses on offense.

I did feel slightly vindicated this offseason when the Chargers signed the guy I wanted them to sign last offseason over Cook, Gerald Everett. Some fans may not realize how explosive Everett is for a tight end and how much of a difference he will be from Cook.

Cook's time in the league is probably coming to a close. Sure, the game is slanted more towards vertical threats but there is so much talent at the tight end position with an influx of talented tight ends joining the league via the NFL Draft. With virtually zero value in blocking and being 10 steps slower, there are so many better options than Cook.

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But who knows, the Chargers brought back Antonio Gates after the preseason in 2018 for one last run so we could see another team (not the Chargers) do the same with Cook. Granted, Antonio Gates is a future Hall of Famer and Cook is not.