Bucs Gameday

$5 million Cowboys WR signs with Buccaneers rival

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will once again face an old New Orleans Saints rival.
River Wells|
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

In this story:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers will see a familiar face in the NFC South in 2025.

The New Orleans Saints drafted wide receiver Brandin Cooks in 2014, and he played for them for three years. He's been a journeyman across the league, playing for four other teams since then, but he's back to face the Bucs again — the NFL's Ian Rapoport reported on Friday that Cooks is returning to the team that drafted him.

Cooks' most recent stop was with the Dallas Cowboys, who he played for for the last two years. Now, he reunites with the Saints.

Cooks played the Buccaneers five times in his career in New Orleans, netting 27 catches for 306 yards and no scores. Across his entire 11-year career, Cooks has had 41 catches for 510 yards in eight games — surprisingly, he's never caught a touchdown pass against Tampa Bay. The Bucs will hope to keep it that way, especially as they're likely to add another cornerback in the rotation to guard him when the two teams face off twice a year in 2025.

With Cooks' signing, the Saints pair him with Chris Olave with Derek Carr under center in an effort to dethrone the Buccaneers atop the NFC South for the first time in five years. The Bucs brought back Chris Godwin themselves, though, and continue to improve the defensive roster, so that will be easier said than done.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 offseason.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

• Is the Buccaneers' Tristan Wirfs the best OT in the NFL?

• Former Buccaneers OC joins Colorado Football’s staff with Deion Sanders

• Major Buccaneers potential NFL draft target undergoes surgery

• Buccaneers land two free agent signings on FOX Sports' biggest bargains rankings

Published
River Wells
RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.

Share on XFollow @riverhwells
Home/Tampa Bay Buccaneers News