Brandin Cooks is heading back to the franchise that drafted him, as the six-time 1,000-yard receiver has returned to the New Orleans Saints, the team announced. Per ESPN, Cooks will sign a two-year, $13 million deal with the Saints as he returns to New Orleans for the first time since being traded from the Saints to the New England Patriots after the 2016 season.
Cooks had two of his six 1,000-yard seasons with the Saints, having 215 catches for 2,861 yards and 20 touchdowns in his three seasons there (2014 to 2016). Drafted as a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Cooks has played for five different teams and had 1,000+ yards for four of them. His last 1,000-yard season came in 2021 with the Houston Texans.
Cooks spent the last three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, where he had a career low in games played (10), catches (26), yards (259), and yards per catch (10.0) last season at the age of 31. He also had just three touchdowns.
Just 468 yards receiving shy of 10,000, Cooks has 710 catches for 9,532 yards and 60 touchdowns in his 11 seasons. Cooks is the first player in NFL history with 1,000+ receiving yards in three consecutive seasons with three different teams and tied Brandon Marshall for the most 1,000+ yard seasons with four different franchises. He also holds the record for longest touchdown reception in Saints franchise history (98 yards).
Cooks joins a Saints wide receiver group with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, and would be expected to get playing time in Kellen Moore’s offense.
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