Former Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks #10 of the New Orleans Saints warms up prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinalsat Caesars Superdome on September 07, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ella Hall/Getty Images)
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Former Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks #10 of the New Orleans Saints warms up prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinalsat Caesars Superdome on September 07, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ella Hall/Getty Images)
At 2-8 and with limited hope for further improvement, former Cowboys star receiver Brandin Cooks looked at his situation with the Saints and decided it might be best for all parties if he exited stage left. This week, Cooks asked for his release from New Orleans, the team he landed with after his contract ran up following a two-year stint in Dallas. And the Saints willingly granted him that release.
Cooks started 26 games in the past two seasons for the Cowboys, but was hampered by a knee injury in 2024. He’d had 54 catches for 657 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, as he played a solid WR2 role to CeeDee Lamb after having starred most of his career, during which he posted six 1,000-yard seasons.
It wasn’t necessarily an easy decision for the Saints, because though Cooks is 32 years old and clearly past his prime, he had been a captain and a valuable veteran leader in the New Orleans locker room, a role he played in Dallas, too.
Brandin Cooks a Leader for Saints
That was the message from another former Cowboys leader, Kellen Moore, the team’s former backup quarterback and offensive coordinator–now the Saints’ head coach.
Moore indicated that Cooks intends to keep playing but likely will seek a job with a potential playoff team.
“We’re gonna release Brandin Cooks. He asked to be released and obviously it took a few days to go through the process to make sure it worked for both parties,” Moore said.
“His contract was kind of adjusted just to make sure it was something that benefited both parties. He was awesome about it. This is a personal thing. He’s been great for us. He’s been great, the way he’s handled himself. The way he’s helped our team. Those are challenging things. But I appreciate everything He has done for us, and it’ll be good for the Saints moving forward. And Cooksie will have his plan moving forward as well.”
Cowboys Moved on From Brandin Cooks
A return to the Cowboys is, obviously, not in Cooks’ future, as Dallas moved on from Cooks with one of the big wide-receiver scores of the past season, replacing him with George Pickens via trade with the Steelers, for the low cost of a third-round draft pick.
Pickens can be a free agent after this season but has 908 yards receiving this year, No. 2 in the NFL. He has 58 catches, ninth among receivers in the NFL this year, and his 15.7 yards per reception ranks No. 7.
Cooks is free to sign with any other team, however.