Michigan State Football: Can Connor Cook get back on track with Lions?

Former Michigan State football star Connor Cook has signed a deal to join the Detroit Lions. Can he get back on his feet with this opportunity?

The career path of Connor Cook hasn’t exactly been an impressive, upward-trending one. He went from all-time leading passer for Michigan State to fourth-round draft pick to free agent after Jon Gruden and the Raiders cut him.

Cook bounced around from practice squad to practice squad until he finally inked a deal with the Detroit Lions following the conclusion of their 2018 season.

This is a surprising move seeing as Cook’s career looked to be over in the league after failing to stick anywhere, but he’s getting a second chance with the Lions. Even more interesting is the fact that the Lions parted ways with former Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock to make room for the former Spartan.

Can Cook get his career back on track with the Lions as Matthew Stafford’s backup?

Don’t expect him to get a shot to take over for the veteran gunslinger, even after a rough 2018 season for Stafford, but a strong preseason could tell us a lot about Cook’s progression.

Cook hasn’t quite looked like the same quarterback he was in college since an injury he suffered against Maryland during his senior year. His shoulder was never quite the same, his accuracy wasn’t great, his arm strength decreased and his decision-making slowed.

Then there were the personality issues that arose before the 2016 NFL Draft as he went from potential first-rounder to fourth-round selection by the Raiders. He didn’t play much behind Derek Carr, but got the start against Houston in the playoffs when Oakland’s young gun was injured — not exactly a great situation for a rookie quarterback against the Texas’ No. 1 defense.

That game went exactly how people expected it to for Cook.

After that, his career took a turn for the worst as he never saw the field consistently again and was cut following the 2018 preseason.

Detroit must see something in him that gives them hope for a solid backup. He has the potential, but he may not have that killer instinct that is required of an NFL quarterback.

We are going to learn plenty more about Cook with the Lions in the 2019 preseason and if he can even prove to be a solid backup, there could be bidders for him as a future starter in the league.