The NFL quarterbacks who lost their jobs for good in Week 15

The median weekly quarterback performance this NFL season has generally fallen well short of expectations. There are multiple factors here — a rash of injuries, a weak rookie class, poor coaching — but by and large, every week gives us a new batch of QB performances to comb through and criticize.

Week 15 was no exception. At this point in the season, several teams are out of postseason contention altogether, which means less emphasis on winning football games and more emphasis on experimentation. Or just flat-out losing. These three quarterbacks in particular were dealt an impossible hand on Sunday.

Brady Cook, New York Jets

With Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor hurt, undrafted rookie Brady Cook made his first career start for the New York Jets on Sunday. It began on an extremely positive note as he led the Jets down the field and notched his first career touchdown pass late in the first quarter.

Unfortunately, that was Cook's only touchdown pass as the afternoon quickly spiraled out of control. Cook completed 22-of-33 passes for 176 yards and committed three interceptions. The box score isn't the most favorable portrait of his performance — the Jets' receiver room and playcalling deserve plenty of criticism — but the Jacksonville Jaguars quickly put Cook and the Jets in the rearview mirror. Trevor Lawrence throwing five touchdowns in a 48-20 Jags win didn't exactly improve the perception of Cook's performance as a point of comparison.

Classic, rookie mistakes like this didn't help either.

The Jets shouldn't be discouraged by Cook's debut start, but he didn't exactly blow the roof off — and the Jets, even in a lost season, are probably inclined to turn the football back over to Taylor or Fields as soon as possible. Aaron Glenn is coaching for his job, raising the stakes in otherwise meaningless games. The Jets are doing to do their damnedest to not lose out, even if it means stunting the development of their "best QB." And yes, Cook might just be their best QB, a sign of how bad things are in East Rutherford.

Kenny Pickett, Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders were blanked in Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. With Geno Smith hurt, Kenny Pickett got the start against his former team. He completed 15-of-25 passes for 64 yards, including an interception. He took four sacks. The entire Raiders offense was static, producing a grand total of 75 yards.

Look, Pickett has almost no help in this Raiders offense, and it's worth remembering just how dominant this Eagles defense can be, even if the offense runs as smoothly as that 1970s Ford Mustang your uncle found in a junk yard. Sunday was also an important 'get right' game for the Eagles, who couldn't afford another loss to an inferior opponent. The two-win Raiders were not playing for much of anything.

And yet, the excuses only go so far. The NFL is a business and every week has consequences. Sunday was probably the final nail in the coffin for Pickett's hopes of claiming a QB1 job in the future, be it in Las Vegas or elsewhere. There was a time not long ago when folks still wondered if Pickett might find new life away from Pittsburgh, but nope. He's a middling backup QB and nothing more. Put him in an unfavorable situation, like the Raiders did on Sunday, and the results will be unfavorable.

Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns hit rock bottom in their 31-3 loss to the Chicago Bears. This result shouldn't really come as a surprise. Chicago needed a win to maintain their spot in the NFC standings; Cleveland's postseason hopes were dashed long ago. That said, fans still want to see the Browns put up a fight, and that was not what happened on Sunday.

Shedeur Sanders looked hapless against a the Bears' pass rush. He completed 18-of-35 passes for 177 yards, but started 7-for-21. A lot of his production came in garbage time, inflated by a couple early deep-ball connections with Isaiah Bond. Sanders took five sacks and threw three interceptions.

Typically, Sanders is at his best when he has time to step back, roll out of the pocket and improvise a bit. Chicago gave him few such opportunities on Sunday. Sanders was under relentless attack, which laid bare his laggy processing.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has already said that Sanders will finish out the season as Cleveland's QB1, but after the Browns pushed the Dillon Gabriel agenda for monthsit's fair to wonder if Sunday's disasterclass is enough to put Gabriel back in the fold. The Browns probably aren't sold on either rookie long term, but these next few weeks could determine whether it's Gabriel or Sanders who actually gets a chance to stick in Cleveland beyond 2025.