Changes are coming for the Kansas City Chiefs, and safety Bryan Cook knows it. He’s seen it before, but this time his perspective will be different given that he’s about to become a free agent.
“I know at the end of the day, the locker room is gonna change. It does every year. But now, I’m one of the guys that might be changing,” Cook told Jesse Newell of The Athletic. “However, whether that be the case or not, I have an opportunity to play with these guys in this last game. As far as the season, I just try to enjoy each moment.”
Whether he stays or goes, look for Cook to get a substantial raise. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the second round in 2022, and Pro Football Focus has him rated as the team’s top-graded defender among players who have played at least 50 snaps, according to Newell. He also ranks fourth among the 66 safeties in the NFL who have played in at least half their team’s defensive snaps.
Cook cites his increased calmness on the field as the biggest reason for his improvement.
“I understand the ins and outs of things — more polished being out there for some years now,” Cook said. “I’ve had my own battles, obstacles that I overcame as well. Just more time and getting better with time.”
That improvement has resonated with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who has been able to rely more on Cook’s leadership and communication abilities, with Spagnuolo saying that Cook “runs the show back there.”
“I think he’s done a really outstanding job tackling. He’s a safety … you guys see it. He’ll come up and hit. He’s a big guy,” Spagnuolo said. “I’m really pleased with the solid year that he’s had.”
Linebacker Nick Bolton does a lot of the defensive checks for the Chiefs, and he indicates that he’s come to rely more on Cook’s feedback when he makes his checks and calls.
“He’s definitely been evolving year to year,” Bolton said. “And this year, he’s obviously taken big steps, just making sure everybody’s on the same page, including me.”
Despite Cook’s obvious improvements, he might not be sticking around in Kansas City. The Chiefs don’t have much cap space, and they have a lot of roster issues to address. Newell, meanwhile, cited Spotrac as having calculated Cook’s market value at $14.4 million, which would be a big number for the Chiefs to absorb given their other needs.
“At the end of the day, we can’t control this,” Cook said when asked the obvious questions about all this. “So why sit here and worry about it?”