According to Aaron Wilson, Texans WR Brandin Cooks still would like to be traded and Houston plans to try and accommodate him this offseason.
Per Wilson, Cooks and GM Nick Caserio are on the same page and are in a good place despite Cooks’ absence from the team which led to him being stripped of his team captaincy when Houston didn’t deal him at the deadline this past season.
โI think my agent and Nick and I, we have a good working relationship and, after this game, weโll be able to discuss what the future looks like,โ Cooks said via Wilson. โThis situation, obviously has got to be a win-win for both sides. I think Nick understands that. We understand that. I think heโs trying to grow something here. As a guy going into Year 10 of my career, I want to be a part of a vision where everyone is on the same page and has a stable vision.
โThatโs my hope as a player. As a player, Iโve worked too hard and seen too many different situations here. I know theyโre trying to get it right and get it going. I know Nick has a big job in front of him. I think weโll discuss it after the season. Both sides will have a good understanding.โ
Cooks wants to land with a contending team as he approaches the back end of his career, and the Texans remain mired in a rebuild.
However, Houston will face similar challenges to dealing Cooks as they did at the deadline, as he’s still due $18 million guaranteed in 2023. The Texans were asking for a second-round pick for Cooks and weren’t willing to eat any of his salary.
Cooks, 29, is a former first-round pick of the Saints back in 2014. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $8.4 million contract when he was traded to the Patriots in 2017.
New England later picked up his fifth-year option for the 2018 season before trading him to the Rams for first- and sixth-round picks. From there, Cooks agreed to a five-year extension worth $81 million with Los Angeles only to be traded to the Texans.
Cooks was set to make a base salary of $12.5 million for the 2022 season when he agreed to a two-year, $39.6 million extension with Houston.
In 2022, Cooks has appeared in 12 games for the Texans and caught 52 passes on 87 targets for 593 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
We’ll have more on Cooks as the news is available.
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