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Missouri Tigers Quarterback Brady Cook “chose to play” due to an ankle and wrist injury in his senior season. The three-year starter has been working on his recovery, returning in Missouri’s Week 12 game against South Carolina after missing eight of the Tigers’ previous 12 games.

“It’s been tough on him mentally,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said at a news conference about Cook’s recovery. “I think it’s been a mental challenge for him to stay positive and have a lot of uncertainty, unknown, but trying to do his best every day to get as healthy as possible for his teammates and for himself.”

Cook’s appearance against South Carolina on Nov. 16 marked the first time he was able to play in all four quarters of a game since Missouri’s Oct. 12 game against UMass. Cook’s throwing motion seemed to be affected by his wrist injury, with some of his passes falling low.

Cook still managed to complete 21 of his 31 passes, good enough for a 67.7% completion percentage, his highest in SEC play this season.

“He can’t quite break his wrist the right way, and that’s why some balls come up short,” Drinkwitz said. “But he is a fighter who makes no excuses and he is fortunate to lead our team for the next three games.”

Cook has chosen to play through injuries at several points in his career. First, in 2022, when he played 12 games with a torn labrum on his throwing arm that he suffered in Week 2 against Kansas State.

When he suffered his current ankle injury in Week 8 against Auburn, he returned to the game after a trip to the hospital to lead Missouri on a 17-point comeback.

“He chooses to play, just like he did a number of years ago,” Drinkwitz said. “You would expect nothing less from Brady as a leader and teammate.”

If Cook is healthy enough to play in Missouri’s remaining games, he will be past the mental anguish of watching his team without being able to contribute. But he will still have to work on adapting his game to his two current injuries.

His ankle injury undoubtedly limits his mobility, especially for a quarterback who often rolls out of the pocket to extend his play. With his wrist injury, his pass height seemed to improve during the South Carolina game.

Cook will look to play in Missouri’s final two regular season games, first a road trip to Mississippi State in Week 13, followed by a home game against Arkansas in Week 14.

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