There may be many chefs in the kitchen on “Thursday Night Football,” but the Texans will be missing Cooks.
The NFL trade deadline came and went on Tuesday, and while Brandin Cooks’ name was attached in trade rumors throughout the week, the No. 1 wideout remained in Houston past the 4 p.m. ET deadline.
That, though, doesn’t seem to be a fact that Cooks likes very much, and his status in Houston moving forward is murky.
According to multiple reports Thursday morning, Cooks will not play in the Texans’ “Thursday Night Football” home matchup against the Eagles.
League source: Wide receiver Brandin Cooks will not play tonight for the #Texans against the #Eagles. He has missed practice for what the team has described as personal reasons. He had hoped to be traded to a playoff contender before Tuesday’s NFL deadline.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) November 3, 2022
MORE: NFL trade deadline winners and losers — Who won the deadline?
The Sporting News looks at what we know about Cooks’ status:
Where is Brandin Cooks?
Leading up to the Week 9 Thursday night game vs. the Eagles, Cooks was listed as questionable on the team’s injury report, with a wrist injury.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Cooks absence on Thursday night wasn’t due to injury, however: Cooks hasn’t been around for the majority of the week leading up to the game as the Texans fielded trade calls regarding the wideout.
He was excused from practice on Tuesday and Wednesday due to “personal reasons,” with coach Lovie Smith sidestepping questions on what exactly those reasons were. It was obvious, though, that Cooks was being held out in the case of a trade for the first of those workouts.
Cooks’ name was mentioned as a potential trade target for the Rams, Cowboys and Packers, but ultimately, the Texans opted not to move him, leading to a potentially disgruntled wideout.
#Texans WR (still) Brandin Cooks’ status is up in the air for tonight’s game against the #Eagles after multiple teams — including the #Rams and #Cowboys — couldn’t pull off a trade before Tuesday’s deadline. @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/14ksgLqpAj
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 3, 2022
MORE: Nine moves that didn’t happen at the NFL trade deadline
Just minutes after the deadline passed, Cooks posted a cryptic tweet, seemingly taking a swipe at the Texans for keeping him in Houston, despite the trade rumors:
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
“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,” Cooks tweeted.
The bridges may not be completely burned. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that although Cooks wasn’t at the Texans’ facility on Thursday, the parties will “continue to talk and try for a reset after tonight’s game.”
Brandin Cooks stats
Had Cooks been moved, it would have been the fifth time in his career that he had been traded: He was sent from New Orleans to New England to Los Angeles to Houston in his career.
Through it all, he’s remained astoundingly consistent: In eight seasons entering 2022, he has six 1,000-yard-plus receiving seasons and had at least five receiving touchdowns in each of those seasons.
| Year | Team | Rec | Yards | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Saints | 53 | 550 | 3 |
| 2015 | Saints | 84 | 1,138 | 9 |
| 2016 | Saints | 78 | 1,173 | 8 |
| 2017 | Patriots | 65 | 1,082 | 7 |
| 2018 | Rams | 80 | 1,204 | 5 |
| 2019 | Rams | 42 | 583 | 2 |
| 2020 | Texans | 81 | 1,150 | 6 |
| 2021 | Texans | 90 | 1,037 | 6 |
| 2022 | Texans | 32 | 354 | 1 |
Now, with the Texans in another down year, the wideout will have to wait at least another year before he can chase the long-awaited Super Bowl ring.
