Cook finished 2024 with the Chiefs’ highest-graded defender (83.5) and ranked fourth among safeties, delivering strong numbers in both coverage and run defense. The 2022 first-year contributor started all 17 games for a second straight season, posted career highs with 85 tackles and six pass breakups, and reduced his missed-tackle rate to a career-low 4.5%.
With Cook turning 27 at the start of next season and his contract status unclear, his market value figures to be a focal point of the Chiefs’ plans. Spotrac projects roughly $14.2 million annually on a four-year deal, while Over The Cap estimates around $6.8 million AAV—a wide gap that reflects how teams value safeties differently based on scheme fit and positional demand.
The broader safety market adds context: contemporaries such as Justin Reid (~$10.5M AAV), Jessie Bates II ($16M), and Jevon Holland ($15.1M) illustrate a multi-year ceiling that could push Cook beyond what Kansas City can comfortably pay. Factor in inflation and Cook’s age, and a premium contract becomes increasingly plausible, even as the Chiefs balance long-term needs.
Kansas City remains in a fragile cap position, with OTC indicating a significant negative balance before any roster moves. That reality complicates any decision to lock Cook into a multi-year deal, even as Spagnuolo’s defense relies on trusted players and Cook’s demonstrated versatility. The Chiefs must weigh immediate impact against long-term financial flexibility as the new league year opens on March 11.
