After Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor went down last week in the 10-34 loss to Miami, rookie Brady Cook took the reins in Week 15 against the Jaguars. The Missouri product stepped into the spotlight for his first NFL start, and right from the early moments, he had his family leaping with unbridled joy.

With just 1:48 left to play in the first quarter, Cook spotted wide receiver Adonai Mitchell streaking downfield and delivered a perfect nine-yard touchdown strike. As the ball sailed into Mitchell’s hands for Cook’s first NFL touchdown, his parents, Jim and Amy Cook, jumped out of their seats in a frenzy of cheers and hugs, their raw emotion captured at EverBank. Amy showed her unwavering support by proudly wearing her son’s No. 4 jersey.

That electric score wasn’t Cook’s first taste of NFL action, though it felt like a breakthrough after a rocky cameo the week prior. In limited relief duty against the Dolphins, he completed 14 of 30 passes for 163 yards but threw two interceptions without a touchdown.

The Jets had already cycled through turmoil at the quarterback position this season, starting with their third signal-caller of the year under head coach Aaron Glenn. Justin Fields, the highly touted quarterback signed by the Jets in the offseason, has been inactive since Week 11 due to nagging knee soreness. Tyrod stepped in, but the Jets managed just one win against the Falcons, and then Tyrod suffered a groin injury, thrusting Cook into the fire.

Cook signed a one-year deal with the Jets this offseason, carrying a base salary of $840,000, and he suddenly became the face of a 3-10 squad. Jets fans, starved for any spark amid the frustration, showered Cook with praise on his poised debut.

Is Brady Cook the savior the Jets craved?

Cook hails from the University of Missouri, where he piled up over 9,000 passing yards and 50 touchdowns in five college seasons. He brought that Mizzou fire to the NFL, and when he rifled that first-quarter touchdown, fans instantly saw the magic they’d been waiting for.

“Mizzou legend,” one fan commented on the viral clip of Cook’s parents.

Yet Cook’s undrafted status after the draft had seemed like a cruel twist at the time, but little did he know it would land him in the history books as the first undrafted rookie quarterback to start for the Jets in 50 years, a milestone that had social media ablaze.

“We saw his Mizzou tape. He can ball 🔥,” another fan added.

But as praise poured in for Cook, it inevitably cast a long shadow over Fields, the quarterback the Jets had signed with sky-high expectations to stabilize the offense. Instead, he went 0-6 in his first six starts with the team.

“Brady Cook already better than Justin Fields,” declared another fan.

One fan went even further, exclaiming, “HE BE COOKIN!!! 🔥🚒,” a playful and enthusiastic nod to Cook’s rapidly rising reputation and early success. In a similar vein, another fan responded to the clip by posting an iShowSpeed losing-his-mind GIF, perfectly capturing the unfiltered excitement surrounding Cook’s first NFL touchdown and the emotional reaction from his parents.

This season feels all but done for the Jets, who sit dead last in the AFC East division. It marks their 15th straight year without a playoff spot, but in the glow of Cook’s touchdown and his parents’ heartfelt reaction, a tiny flicker of tomorrow shines through the gloom.