Brandin Cooks will remain with the Texans following the 2022 NFL trade deadline — something the ninth-year receiver seems rather unhappy about.
Cooks, in his third year in Houston, was held from media availability and practice on Tuesday as rumors of a trade involving the receiver were gaining traction.
But, the 4pm ET deadline came and went without Cooks being moved, despite teams making the effort.
No trade for #Texans WR Brandin Cooks, source said. There were talks. But nothing came of it.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 1, 2022
Once Cooks knew he wouldn’t be dealt, he took to Twitter to air out some frustration:
Don’t take a man’s kindness for granted. Covered for the lies for too long those days are done. Crossed the line with playing with my career 🏹
— Brandin Cooks (@brandincooks) November 1, 2022
Whatever “lies” Cooks is referring to remains to be seen, although the franchise has been mired with controversy surrounding lawsuits involving now former Texan Deshaun Watson. That said, Houston coach Lovie Smith on Tuesday told reporters Cooks had been held out because of “personal reasons,” refusing to elaborate whether he was up to be traded before the deadline.
Per Aaron Wilson of Houston-based KPRC 2:
Lovie Smith, asked if team will trade Brandin Cooks: ‘What kind of question is that? Brandin wasn’t out there today. He was excused for personal reasons.’
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 1, 2022
Lovie Smith: ‘I talked to Brandin today. When I say a guy is excused for personal reasons, I never talk about personal reasons.’ Asked if Texans receive offers for Cooks: ‘If we did, we’re not going to talk about it.’
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 1, 2022
Cooks is in the midst of one of his slowest starts to a season in his NFL career, catching 32 passes for 354 yards and a single touchdown in seven games. He is averaging a career-low 50.6 receiving yards per game, roughly 5 yards less per game than in his rookie campaign.
Cooks, a six-time 1,000-yard receiver — including twice in Houston — likely could have commanded a respectable price ahead of the deadline, especially with several teams in need of a playmaking receiver. Whether the Texans simply wanted to retain Cooks or received interest in him and chose not to act is unknown.
One thing that appears certain, however, is that Cooks is unhappy with someone following the trade deadline. How that impacts his play and the Texans’ season moving forward remains to be seen.
