Brandin Cooks Career Retrospective With Texans: Rank in Franchise History
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HOUSTON — Brandin Cooks made it clear at the end of the 2022 campaign that he no longer wanted to be a part of a rebuild with the Houston Texans.
Sunday morning, Cooks received his wish in a trade that sent him to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth-round pick in 2023 and a sixth-round pick in 2024.
"I’m not going into this offseason thinking I want to be a part of a rebuild," Cooks said recently. "That’s why I trust my camp and my representation to be able to get a map from here to there and see what that looks like to be a part of something that has a trusted plan."
Cooks' tenure with the Texans ended on a sour note. His relationship with the franchise became fractured after the Texans failed to trade him at the trade deadline.
But when looking back at Cooks' time in Houston, he may have established himself as the third-best wide receiver in franchise history — trailing only Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins.
The Texans acquired Cooks in April 2020 following a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. Cooks' acquisition came with modest expectations.
Following an injury-plagued season with the Rams, no one knew what to expect from Cooks, especially given his arrival came nearly a month after the jettison of Hopkins.
But while playing alongside Deshaun Watson, Cooks proved he possessed the talents to be Houston's No. 1 receiver. He finished his first season with the Texans (4-12) catching 81 balls for 1,150 yards and six touchdowns, which marked the third-highest of his career.
One could argue Cooks' success in his first year was due to Watson's MVP-caliber season. But even when Watson made it clear he would no longer play for the Texans, Cooks' on-field production remained the same.
He spent the next two seasons playing with a mixture of Kyle Allen, Jeff Driskel, Davis Mills and Tyrod Taylor. The results led to Cooks recording 1,736 receiving yards and nine touchdowns since Watson's premature departure.
During the Texans' 32-31 season finale victory over the Indianapolis Colts in January, Cooks had an extra pep in his step. He put together his best performance of the season by finishing the day with 106 yards on five catches and a touchdown in his final game with the Texans.
In three seasons, Houston won 11 games despite Cooks' on-field production. But the veteran wide receiver made his most significant impact as the leader who helped guide the Texans through their darkest moments as a franchise.
Cooks had a strong presence within the locker room. And players maintained their respect, even after Cooks' relationship with the franchise became rotten.
A source told Texans Daily several players tried talking Cooks into staying another season following the hiring of coach DeMeco Ryans.
Since beginning his career with the New Orleans Saints as a first-round pick in 2014 (No. 20 overall), Cooks will be playing for his fourth team during his nine-year career.
Cooks has impacted each team he has played for throughout his career and will likely do the same in Dallas. But Cooks' contributions on and off the field in Houston will forever embed him as a Texan great.
Cooks has appeared in 44 games with the Texans. He has recorded 2,886 yards on 238 catches and 15 touchdowns with Houston. Cooks reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark in two of his three seasons with the Texans.
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