COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Jared Cook is big -- standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 254 pounds -- fast (he ran in his last 40 in 4.49 seconds) and has arms for days. He is also a two-time Pro Bowler.
He’s everything the Los Angeles Chargers want and need at tight end to replace another standout player in Hunter Henry, who signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots after five seasons with the Chargers.
But there was one big reason why Cook chose to sign a one-year, $6 million contract with the Chargers and leave the New Orleans Saints, where he spent the past two seasons of his career, which enters its 13th season.