Bills Free-Agent WR Declares 'No Doubt' He'll Play in 2026, Claiming He Can't 'Go Out Like That'

One of the Buffalo Bills’ remaining free agents that the team should be interested in bringing back is Brandin Cooks.

Cooks’ 2025 season with the Bills ended in controversy, as he failed to haul in a deep ball that turned into a fateful interception leading to a crushing playoff defeat. But rather than allow that to dampen his spirits, it has only invigorated the veteran wide receiver, who told Sirius XM there is “no doubt” he will bounce back from his failed reception that left him feeling he couldn’t “go out like that.”

And with Cooks clearly expressing his desire to continue playing, the Bills should be at the top of the list of teams inquiring about his services in 2026.

Jam-packed Bills wide receiver room

Denver Broncos cornerback Ja'quan McMillian (29) intercepts a pass intended for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks (18) during overtime of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

You may ask yourself, do the Bills have room for Cooks in their growing wide receiver room? Buffalo traded for DJ Moore this offseason and also drafted Skyler Bell in the fourth round of the 2026 draft. However, beneath those two and 2025 leading receiver Khalil Shakir on the Bills’ depth chart is a list of uninspiring options to potentially serve as the team’s fourth and fifth wide receivers.

Cooks would be perfect for that role and would present a more favorable option than Keon Coleman or Joshua Palmer, both of whom underperformed considerably a season ago. Cooks was a viable deep threat for quarterback Josh Allen during the ’25 campaign, averaging a massive 22.8 yards per reception, albeit on only five receptions during the regular season.

With Coleman continuing to work through his maturity issues and Palmer remaining on the mend, Cooks would be a low-cost option to help Buffalo fill out its wide receiver corps with the best group possible.

Cooks would be a good fit under salary cap

With the Bills creating such a dire set of circumstances against the salary cap, Cooks would be the perfect free-agent fit at this stage of the offseason. Cooks also told Sirius XM that his plan is to sign with a team before training camp, which gives Buffalo about a month left to pursue the 32-year-old.

Doing so likely wouldn’t cost the Bills a whole lot, as Spotrac has Cooks’ projected market value listed at $2.9 million. That would fit under where Buffalo finds itself in relation to the cap, sitting with $10.1 million in remaining cap space, which is the seventh-lowest amount in the league.

So, for a team that could still use another weapon added to Allen’s arsenal but doesn’t have much financial flexibility to do so, Cooks would be a perfect match.

Add us as a preferred source on Google