The Chargers have found their replacement for Hunter Henry.
Veteran tight end Jared Cook has agreed to terms with Los Angeles on a one-year deal worth $6 million, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The contract includes $4.5 million in fully guaranteed money, Rapoport added. The team later announced the signing.
Cook spent the last two seasons with the Saints, where he caught 80 passes for 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns combined between the campaigns. While productive, his time in New Orleans might be remembered for how it ended -- a catch and fumble in the NFC Divisional Round that swung the game in favor of the visiting Buccaneers, who rode that momentum to an upset victory and a sprint to a win in Super Bowl LV.
Cook has played for five teams in his 12 years in the NFL, catching 505 passes for 6,673 yards and 41 touchdowns, carving out a very solid professional career. His 2020 season saw Cook post his lowest receptions and yardage totals since his one-year stint in Green Bay in 2016, though, lending some justification to the thought his best days might be behind him.
Cook will bring a veteran presence and a dozen years' worth of professional experience to the Chargers, where he'll be expected to serve as second-year quarterback Justin Herbert's best friend as a pass-catcher and security blanket. If anything, Cook goes from one productive offense to another, landing with the NFL's sixth-best passing offense in 2020.
