Report: Former Dallas Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks signing back with New Orleans Saints

Brandin Cooks is headed back to where it all began. The New Orleans Saints are signing Cooks to a two-year, $13 million deal, per ESPN‘s Adam Schefter.

It’s a reunion between the two parties, as Cooks spent the first three seasons of his career with the Saints, who selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Cooks, now 31, will serve as the veteran in New Orleans’ wideout room. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are the team’s other top receivers.

Cooks’ three seasons in the Big Easy were productive. In 42 games, he hauled in 215 receptions for 2,861 yards and 20 touchdowns. New Orleans traded him to the New England Patriots ahead of the 2017 season. Cooks surpassed 1,000 yards in his lone season with the Patriots, who then flipped him to the Los Angeles Rams the following offseason. Cooks signed a five-year, $81 million extension with the Rams.

Brandin Cooks on the move… again

He made it through two seasons with the Rams before the team traded him to the Houston Texans. After posting two more 1,000-yard campaigns in Houston, he was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys during the 2023 offseason. Cooks tallied just 916 yards on 80 catches in 26 games with the Cowboys, missing seven games this past season with a knee injury. He did, however, find the end zone 11 times.

For his career, he’s tallied 710 receptions for 9,532 yards and 60 scores. Cooks has never made the Pro Bowl despite his six 1,000-yard seasons.

With Cooks going elsewhere, the Cowboys have quite the hole in their offense next to CeeDee Lamb. Jalen Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo are candidates to receive more targets, though Dallas could very well use its No. 12 overall pick in next month’s Draft on a wideout to pair alongside Lamb.