Brandin Cooks has had a splendid 12-year NFL career, but a reunion with the New Orleans Saints wasn't exactly going to plan.
On a 2-8 Saints team that has already made a quarterback change, Cooks was rarely getting any serious looks in the offense. And at age 32, Cooks likely doesn't care that much about his target share anyway -- he'd just like a chance to play in the playoffs in search of his first Super Bowl ring.
Therefore, it made a ton of sense when the news broke Wednesday that Cooks and the Saints had mutually agreed to part ways. ESPN's Nick Underhill was among the first to report the decision from both sides.
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Sep 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) drops a pass in the end zone under pressure from Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp (9) during the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
According to Underhill, Cooks will first need to pass through waivers, but that's a mere formality. He will almost certainly become a free agent and have his choice of suitors, likely hoping that a playoff-bound team will scoop him up for the remainder of the season.
Cooks wound up playing in all 10 of the Saints' games before he was released, taking 65% of the team's offensive snaps. He has 19 receptions for 165 yards on the season, with no touchdowns and 6.6 yards per target.
Saints fans will wind up remembering Cooks primarily for his first stint with the team, when he was an electric downfield threat during the Sean Payton and Drew Brees era. He had back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in New Orleans in 2015 and 2016, including a career-best nine touchdowns in the former year.
Since then, Cooks has gone on to play for the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, and Dallas Cowboys. He wound up losing in the Super Bowl in both of his first two seasons after leaving New Orleans, so winning a championship ring has to be priority No. 1 as his days as a top pass-catcher are fading fast.
Meanwhile, the Saints freed up more targets for the likes of Devaughn Vele and Mason Tipton, and can find out what sort of help they need at the receiver position in the offseason based on how the youngsters respond over the last seven games.
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