Brandin Cooks is returning to where his career began. The veteran wideout has a deal in place with the Saints, as first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The pact (which is now official) is two years in length and is worth $13MM, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson adds. 
Cooks spent his first three seasons with the Saints, quickly emerging as a focal point on offense. The former first-round pick topped 1,100 yards in 2015, then did so again the following year. His 20 touchdowns scored during his first New Orleans stint and status as a key deep threat did not produce a long-term arrangement with the team, however. Cooks was dealt to the Patriots during the 2017 offseason.
That marked the first of four times in his career the Oregon State product has been traded. The first two such deals brought back a first-round pick in return, a sign of his consistent production during his career. Cooks reached the 1,000-yard mark during his single New England campaign, and he matched the feat in one of his two Rams seasons. The deal which sent him to Houston resulted in a three-year Texans run, one which included a career-high 90 catches in 2021.
Cooks was dealt from the Texans to the Cowboys in 2023, and he operated as a full-time starter during his two Dallas campaigns. The 31-year-old expressed a willingness to re-sign in free agency, although he added he felt he was not used properly by the Cowboys. Dallas has been linked to the pursuit of veteran receivers this offseason (including Cooper Kupp), and Cooks’ departure will increase the team’s need for bringing in one of the other options still on the market.
The Saints still have Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed in place at the receiver spot for next season. Both wideouts missed considerable time through injury last year, however, so adding an experienced option in the passing game was seen as a priority for the spring. Especially since Marquez Valdes-Scantling recently departed in free agency, adding a vertical threat in the form of a Cooks reunion comes as little surprise.
Limited to 10 games last year, Cooks recently said he is fully healthy. The Saints will hope that remains the case moving forward given their multi-year commitment to pull off this agreement.
LA screwed him over and changed his career trajectory forever.
I’m sure he’s still got something left, and I’m sure he’s motivated to prove it.
I like Brandin Cooks a lot, but this is a hilarious new level of clinging to the Payton years for the Saints.
Great signing. One of the most overlooked free agency weapons.
With the Saints likely blowing it up next year (all their Payton era stars are in the final year of their contracts) – Brandin has a great chance of becoming the most traded player of all time next offseason!
Why the overpay? 1 year – 6 mil
2 years? 10 maybe 11). He hasn’t been very good the last 2 years