After an odd few days, Brandin Cooks has been waived by the New Orleans Saints and is out there for the taking for franchises right now.
On Saturday afternoon, ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed the news that Cooks has been waived by the franchise and noted that he will find out on Monday after 4 p.m. ET if a team has claimed him.
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"New Orleans officially waived veteran WR Brandin Cooks today, per source. His name appears on today’s NFL wire," Schefter wrote. "Brandin Cooks now has in fact been waived by the Saints. He will find out if he is claimed or goes unclaimed Monday after 4 pm ET."
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks
Sep 7, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) is tackled by the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
It was a long few days. Let's dive into why that was the case and what comes next.
Why Cooks getting waived took a few days
The Saints initially announced that they were waiving Cooks on Nov. 19th. But, it took four days for the move to actually happen. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio weighed in on Saturday and noted that when discussing an exit plan, a "poison pill" was added to the contract to make it unattractive to claiming teams. Florio noted that there's a "belief" that there's a specific team he wants to join. Now, that he has been waived any team can claim him. But, adding the "poison pill" theoretically would scare teams off, allowing him to enter free agency and pick his next team.
"As to Cooks, there’s a belief in league circles that he has a specific team that he wants to join," Florio wrote. "A contender, most likely. And there was a concern that another team would claim Cooks, thwarting his effort to get to wherever he wants to go. And so the Saints and Cooks worked out a new contract, one that contained a poison pill aimed at making it unattractive to claim him on waivers."
What's next for Brandin Cooks?
Well, as Schefter noted, he's out there on waivers and will have to wait until after 4 p.m. ET to find out if he has been claimed. If claimed, the team landing him will absorb what's left on Cooks' deal. If Cooks goes unclaimed, then he will have more control over this situation. He would become a free agent and have the chance to sign with a team.
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