The Philadelphia Stars went into the 2022 USFL season with a plan at quarterback. They were going to lean on Bryan Scott to carry their team.
Scott had previous experience playing in coach Bart Andrus' system during The Spring League. The two had previously enjoyed a strong partnership and that is what led the Stars to select Scott in the first round of the USFL draft.
Andrus was prepared to trust Scott as his team's full-time starter. He played every snap at quarterback during the Stars' first two games and established himself as one of the league's most accurate quarterbacks.
Then, disaster struck in Week 3. Scott went down with a leg injury that proved to be season-ending.
But it wasn't season-ending for the Stars.
Scott's injury gave backup quarterback Case Cookus a chance to step in and play, and he was ready for it.
Cookus came onto the field and on his first pass, he saw wide receiver Jordan Suell breaking open on a deep post route. He threw the ball up to his 6-foot-6 wideout and Suell brought it down for a 47-yard gain, which Cookus remembers as one of his favorite plays of the season.
"I don't think many people can say their first completion of pro football is a 40-yard post over the top," Cookus told The Sporting News in a recent interview.
The pass completion represented the end of a long wait for Cookus. He hadn't played in a live game since his last college start at Northern Arizona in 2019 and had been waiting patiently to show coaches everywhere what he could do on the field.
He got that opportunity and ran with it all the way to the USFL championship game, which is no surprise. He is used to doing that and has been since his early college days at Northern Arizona.
MORE: Prediciting the winner of the Stars vs. Stallions USFL championship game
Case Cookus college career, stats, injuries at Northern Arizona
Cookus was lightly recruited out of high school, so he opted to play college ball at Northern Arizona. He chose the FCS school because he felt like he clicked with the coaching staff and they would get the most out of him.
Cookus developed into a star with the Lumberjacks. He was a perfect fit in their offense, which he described as "a spread offense with pro-style formations." That system allowed him to perform at an elite level as a freshman; he threw 37 touchdowns in his first season while winning the Jerry Rice Award, given to the most outstanding freshman in the FCS.
However, after throwing 13 touchdowns and just one interception in his first four games as a sophomore, Cookus suffered a broken collarbone in his right (throwing) shoulder. That knocked him out for the rest of the season, and there were questions about whether he was going to be able to throw again.
"I had some complications with the surgery and the way the break was," Cookus said. "All the doctors said was a very rare break when it ended up happening."
Cookus managed to bounce back from that injury, but that wasn't the only collarbone issue that troubled him during his college career. He was sidelined for all but two games of his redshirt junior year as a result of another injury where surgeons had to "take a plate out and put a plate in" to stabilize the injury.
The second injury wasn't as severe, but it had a potentially high rate of recurrence. So, Cookus had to carefully rehab with the Northern Arizona training staff and make sure he didn't take too many hits. He found that easy as he was able to "truly recover" from each hit because of the position he played.
"The best part about playing quarterback is that you obviously you don't get hit during practice," he said.
The rehab paid off, and Cookus returned to the field for his senior season. He set a career-high with 4,095 passing yards and threw for 31 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He broke the school's all-time passing touchdowns record that season and finished his career with 105.
Below is a look at Cookus' stats during his five years at Northern Arizona.
| Year | Games played | Comp. % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | INTs |
| 2015 | 11 | 68.9 | 3,111 | 37 | 5 |
| 2016 | 4 | 67.2 | 1,173 | 13 | 1 |
| 2017 | 12 | 58 | 3,413 | 22 | 6 |
| 2018 | 2 | 70.6 | 265 | 2 | 2 |
| 2019 | 12 | 60.3 | 4,095 | 31 | 7 |
Case Cookus NFL Draft, career to date
The strong finish to Cookus' career helped establish him as a potential sleeper in the 2020 NFL Draft. He declared for the event and he and his agent thought there was a chance he would be selected on Day 3.
"We kind of knew because of the injuries that it might be a little bit of a long shot," Cookus said of being drafted. "[We] talked to a few teams on draft day. No one really ended up pulling the trigger."
Cookus wasn't too disappointed when he wasn't selected. He knew that he would get a chance as an undrafted free agent. He signed with the Giants not long after the conclusion of the draft and hoped to have a chance to compete for a roster spot in New York.
Unfortunately, the 2020 NFL offseason was mostly held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams carried smaller rosters during training camp and the preseason was canceled, so that prevented Cookus from getting actual on-field reps.
"It was obviously a tough year for all the guys that came out here that year, especially the undrafted free agents," Cookus explained. "We sat on a computer for three months trying to learn offenses. At normal mini-camps, you get to go out and make those mistakes out on the field and learn from them, interact with your coaches and learn their expectations and things like that."
That's why Cookus was more confident going into his second year in the NFL. He felt like he would have a chance to prove himself on the field and make more interpersonal connections with the coaches.
Still, Cookus had trouble sticking around in the NFL. He had stints with the Broncos, Vikings and Raiders, but none lasted more than a week. He had plenty of workouts and he felt like he impressed coaches, but teams just weren't able to keep him.
Cookus didn't let that get him down. He explained that coaches were honest about why he was being cut and that more often than not, it was to bring in reinforcements at another position or a bigger-name player who happened to become available.
"Sometimes it's just a business thing and they have to make decisions," Cookus said. "The tough part about the NFL is they can't keep everyone they want to keep around. So it was pretty easy to stay positive."
That upbeat attitude is what led him to take a chance on himself in the USFL.
Case Cookus USFL stats with Philadelphia Stars
Cookus has been one of the USFL's best quarterbacks during the rebooted league's inaugural season. The Stars averaged a USFL-high 26.2 points per game under his watch during the regular season and possessed one of the league's most dynamic passing offense.
Cookus' playmaking ability — which he views as one of his biggest strengths — is what really made Philadelphia's offense explosive.
"I feel like when I play quarterback, the best thing I do is run the offense and create explosive plays and protect the football in a way that I think some guys can't," he said.
Indeed, Cookus took plenty of explosive, downfield shots with success, and the numbers prove it. He recorded 1,334 passing yards and 12 touchdown passes in just seven starts. Below are his stats from the 2022 USFL campaign and how they compare to the league's other quarterbacks.
| Stat | Total | Rank among USFL QBs |
| Comp % | 62.5 | 5th |
| Passing yards | 1,334 | 4th |
| Pass TDs | 12 | 2nd |
| INTs | 5 | T-6th |
| QBR | 130.6 | 5th |
| Rushing yards | 217 | 2nd |
While Cookus was a big part of the Stars' championship run, he is quick to deflect credit to other members of the team. He had plenty of praise for Andrus and his stable of weapons, which includes Suell, Bug Howard, Devin Gray and Maurice Alexander.
"We have two really good tight ends, a few good running backs [and] really good wide receivers," Cookus said. "So we feel like we can make plays across the board."
They will look to do that in the USFL championship game against the Birmingham Stallions, a contest for which Cookus believes his team is well prepared.
What's next for Case Cookus?
Cookus will have one major focus after the USFL championship game. He is getting married on July 14, so that will take precedence over all else once a winner is crowned in Canton.
However, after that, Cookus will look to make a decision about his playing future. He does believe that NFL teams will have an interest in him once the USFL season comes to an end.
"My agent feels confident that we might get some camp [invites] and things like that," he said.
That said, if things don't work out with the NFL, Cookus said that he is more than willing to return to the USFL. He just wants to discuss his options with his wife before making a firm decision.
"I feel like I definitely have a home here in the USFL no matter what happens in my future career."