Bills, Brandin Cooks Urged to Reunite Prior to Training Camp

The former first-round pick has been around the NFL for 12 years, and he apparently wants to give it one more shot with Buffalo in 2026.

Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks (18) runs with the ball during the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC Wild Card Round game at EverBank Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Buffalo Bills made a somewhat run-of-the-mill move late last season when the team decided to sign longtime veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks to a one-year deal on November 25, 2025, ahead of its Week 13 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Not much, at least in terms of anything substantial, was expected from the signing at the time.

But, it was at a point in the season when the Bills’ offense had been stagnant.

Buffalo had just lost two of three games from November 9 to November 20, which included an abysmal 23-19 loss to the Houston Texans at—what was then referred to as—NRG Stadium down in Texas.

And, with untimely injuries mounting at the receiver position during that stretch of the season for the team as well, the Bills took a stab at kicking the tires on Cooks, who had previously been with the New Orleans Saints—the team which had originally drafted him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Oregon State University—for the first three quarters of the 2025 regular season.

Sep. 7, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) braces himself before being tackled by a pair of Arizona Cardinals defenders during the second half of an NFL game at Caesars Superdome. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Things didn’t work out for Cooks during his second stint down in “The Big Easy” last year, however, as he posted just 19 receptions for 165 yards and zero touchdowns in 10 games, which included three starts.

Coupling that with the fact that the Saints were clearly a team in rebuilding mode last season under the guidance of first-year head coach Kellen Moore and rookie second-round quarterback Tyler Shough, Cooks was hoping for a fresh start to finish out what many thought to be his final tour in the NFL.

He wanted to join a playoff contender, and possibly make a run at winning a Super Bowl . . . which is an accomplishment that has evaded the former Oregon State Beaver so far during his lengthy NFL career.

Cooks’ flight path landed him in Western New York in Week 13

So, the wideout, who is an officially licensed pilot, landed in Orchard Park, New York, to finish off the 2025 campaign with the Bills and former 2024 MVP quarterback Josh Allen.

And, from the outside looking in, it appeared to be one of the best chances—out of any of the other previous five teams he’d been on—to finally earn that elusive championship ring.

Dec. 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks (18) warms up in the rain before an NFL game between the Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“With me and my family being out on the West Coast, we get to fly and see so many different places. It’s one of the most fulfilling things that you could possibly do because—when you get up there in the air—you’re like, ‘Man, how do we . . . how are we able to do this?’

“You really feel like you’re floating. Like, it’s just a different (experience) . . . it’s a different feel when you’re up there and to know like, ‘Man, I gotta’ be on my Ps and Qs.’ It’s a feeling that it’s like you can’t really explain until you experience it yourself,” current NFL free agent wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who shares videos of his flight experiences on his Instagram, said in an interview with WGRZ-TV in Buffalo this past December.

“It’s like on a football field. Like, when you’ve got a job, that one wrong thing can mess everything up. And, when it comes to flying, you’re talking about life or . . . you know? You’re talking about life (and death at that moment). So, you’ve gotta’ be on your radio calls, right? You gotta’ be on your traffic calls. You gotta’ just, you know, be able to scan the field to make sure traffic isn’t coming. . . . I feel like the adjustment (to Buffalo) is going great: I really do. 

“You come into a place like this, and they welcome you with open arms. And, it’s like a family. . . . (so) tell me I can’t (do something): I’m gonna’ show you I can.”

Dec. 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks (obscured) leaps to make a catch while being covered by Philadelphia Eagles safety Marcus Epps (39) during the fourth quarter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cooks-Allen connection—to nobody’s surprise—started off slowly, but quickly picked up

With that in mind, in his pursuit of capturing an NFL title with the Bills, things started off a bit slowly for Cooks and his connection with his new quarterback.

However, given that he was signed so late in the season by Brandon Beane, who now also has the added title of being the team’s president of football operations to go along with his former title of general manager, it didn’t take too long for the wily veteran speedster to take off from the metaphorical runway in Western New York with Allen as his co-pilot.

And, although he managed to muster up only five receptions on 11 targets through the final five games of the regular season last year with Buffalo, Cooks nearly had the same amount of yardage that he had all season long with New Orleans prior to making the move over from the NFC South to the AFC East.

Dec. 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills WR Brandin Cooks (18) gestures toward the crowd after catching a pass from QB Josh Allen (not pictured) vs. the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In those five matchups, the now 32-year-old, who will turn 33 this fall on September 25, registered 114 yards for an impressive 22.8 yards per reception.

There were also many near misses between Allen and Cooks that could’ve driven that number up even further.

So, while the stats weren’t necessarily eye popping in terms of his total output, there’s no denying that the late addition of the veteran wideout provided value in now first-year head coach Joe Brady’s offense last season.

The sky appeared to be the limit.

His skillset is exactly what Allen has thrived with his entire career: receivers who create separation immediately off the line of scrimmage and at the top of routes.

Jan. 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Buffalo Bills veteran WR Brandin Cooks (18) catches a pass vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half of an AFC wild-card NFL playoff game at EverBank Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Allen was looking the veteran WR’s way at most critical moments

Stefon Diggs, John Brown, Cole Beasley, and even former undrafted free agent Robert Foster are just a few of the names that quickly come to mind.

And, although the Bills still appear to want their big-bodied former second-round pick Keon Coleman—in spite of outside opinions pointing to the contrary—to pan out this upcoming season and beyond, it was Cooks on the field at Empower Field at Mile High in the AFC divisional round playoffs versus the Denver Broncos last season, and not Coleman—or former prized free-agent signing Joshua Palmer—who Allen was looking for in the most critical moment of the game.

Allen clearly trusts him.

Their connection was growing with each game, and Cooks’ ability to create easy throwing lanes for Buffalo’s franchise quarterback in certain pivotal moments can’t be understated.

Jan. 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Buffalo Bills veteran WR Brandin Cooks (18) makes a catch while being covered by Denver Broncos CB Pat Surtain II (2) during the second quarter of last season's AFC divisional round NFL playoff game | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He was becoming a frequent outlet for the former No. 7 overall pick, and it showed in his playoff stats: Cooks recorded five receptions for 78 yards in two games, four of which gained first downs, for an average of 15.6 yards per reception.

He finished the wild-card matchup versus the Jacksonville Jaguars with three receptions for 58 yards. 

It was readily apparent that the Stockton, California, native was becoming the deep threat that has been missing in Buffalo for quite some time. 

And, although Cooks may or may not have dropped the ball in that divisional-round game, which ultimately led to a seismic shift to Buffalo’s organization this offseason, that doesn’t mean he should be shunned by the franchise or the fanbase in his attempt to get back on the roster before training camp.

Denver Broncos CB Ja'quan McMillian reaches to grab the ball from Buffalo Bills veteran WR Brandin Cooks (18), who is pictured with the ball in his possession with his knee on the ground during overtime at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 17, 2026. The controversial play was ruled an interception for Denver. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

If Cooks wants back in Buffalo, then Bills and Brandon Beane should oblige

The longtime veteran wideout recently stated he’d like to make at least one more flight around the NFL world with a team this upcoming season, and he hopes that it’s with Buffalo.

“Obviously, Buffalo is the place I’d love to be. I want to prove that to them, and have a full offseason with them. Both sides are figuring things out. We’ll see, but hopefully something transpires because I love going to training camp.

“That’s where you build that callus,” Cooks said in a recent interview with longtime reporter Tim Graham of The Athletic.

July 25, 2019; Pittsford, N.Y., USA; Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula (right) and general manager Brandon Beane (left) watch a past training camp practice at St. John Fisher University. | USA TODAY Sports

“I will continue to process (the play in Denver) until I get back on the field, but I think the biggest thing I can say is that I still feel like it was a catch. After it happened, seeing some of the so-called controversial calls that were called a catch, I just had to turn the playoffs off because I’m like, ‘Yo, what is going on?’

“For me, the way that my mind operates is, ‘OK, what can I do about it?’ And, what I can do about it is get back on the field, continue to work on being the best that I can be, and making sure next time it’s a catch-and-run for a touchdown and leave it in no one else’s hands.

“I do think about it all the time, especially when I’m up in the morning working out. When you’re on that last set—and no one’s watching, and no one cares how you feel—I’ll get those flashbacks for sure.”

It’s clear: Cooks is motivated more than ever to give it a go for a 13th season in the NFL.

And, despite bringing in D.J. Moore via trade this offseason, along with adding promising fourth-round pick Skyler Bell in the draft this past April, the Bills would be—at least in my opinion—nuts not to bring back the veteran for one more season, if for nothing more than to compete in training camp for one of the final spots on the roster.

Everyone knows that the team has been struck by injuries over the past few seasons, and Joshua Palmer’s own struggles with staying on the field last year are the perfect example.

Oh, and in case fans weren’t paying attention this offseason during the OTA and minicamp periods, Bell—the previously mentioned rookie from the University of Connecticut—was already hampered by a hamstring injury this spring, as well.

So, no matter how much people want to wish away injuries, they’re simply a part of the game.

If Cooks wants back in Buffalo, then the Bills and Beane need to make it work.

He likely won’t cost much more than the veteran minimum, especially if he’s truly chasing a championship, and the team currently has roughly $9.68 million in available cap space according to the Over the Cap website.

Cooks would add another veteran presence, has experience with Pete Carmichael

Even if former Bills’ wideout Stevie Johnson expects to see fireworks on the field from Keon Coleman this season, the franchise would be foolish not to bring back Cooks for 2026.

And, I didn’t even mention the fact that he has immense experience in the Sean Payton/Pete Carmichael Jr. offense as he spent three seasons in New Orleans with the two veteran coaches during his first stint with the Saints from 2014 to 2016.

Carmichael Jr., who is now the offensive coordinator in Buffalo under rookie head coach Joe Brady, was with the Saints from 2006 to 2023.

So, honestly, what’s the hold up? There’s room for everyone to eat some wings at the table in Buffalo.

Dec. 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints WR Brandin Cooks (10) scores a second-quarter touchdown during an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“If we went out there and we won a Super Bowl, (then) I’d still be feeling the same way. There’s a lot of gas left in the tank. I love this game. I’ve always said—as long as I love the process—I’m going to continue to play this game,” Cooks added in an interview shortly after the loss to Denver while appearing on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football in January.

“And, of course, I would love to be back in Buffalo. Who wouldn’t want to be there and play with Josh Allen to be able to write this story?”

Let’s get the next chapter started in short order, shall we?

Bills Mafia is waiting: so, hurry up and get a contract consummated, Brandon and Brandin.

Training camp begins in just two weeks at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York.

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