Cooks agreed Tuesday to sign with the 49ers' practice squad, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
San Francisco marks the eighth career stop for Cooks, who has racked up 9,811 receiving yards and 62 total touchdowns since entering the NFL as a first-round pick of the Saints in 2014. The 32-year-old will provide the 49ers with some much-needed depth after the WR depth chart was ravaged by injuries. Because he didn't participate in training camp with a team, Cooks could need time to regain conditioning and may not be ready to jump into action for a Week 3 game against the Cardinals. Expect him to be elevated from the practice squad or signed to the 49ers' 53-man roster once he's fully up to speed.
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Brandin Cooks: Works out for Ravens
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Cooks had a workout with the Ravens on Thursday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Baltimore is looking for reinforcements at wide receiver, as rookie Ja'Kobi Lane (wrist) will miss at least four weeks after being placed on injured reserve Wednesday, while top wideout Zay Flowers (hamstring) is also banged up. Cooks, who will turn 33 years old in eight days, is trying to prove he still has some gas left in the tank. The six-time 1,000-yard receiver hasn't reached 700 yards in a regular season since 2021, and Cooks had just 279 receiving yards in the 2025 regular season with the Saints and Bills before being the intended receiver on Josh Allen's overtime interception in Buffalo's playoff loss to the Broncos.
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Brandin Cooks: Hopes to sign before training camp
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Cooks said in a recent interview with Tim Graham of The Athletic that he hopes to sign with a team within the next few weeks and mentioned a return to Buffalo as his preferred landing spot. "Obviously, Buffalo is the place I'd love to be," Cooks said. "I want to prove that to them and have a full offseason with them. Both sides are figuring things out. We'll see, but hopefully something transpires because I love going to training camp."
With 9,811 career receiving yards over 12 NFL seasons, the 32-year-old Cooks is one of the more experienced wideouts left on the open market as the start of training camp approaches. At this stage of his career, Cooks profiles as more of a rotational player than an every-down receiver, but he's reportedly drawn contract offers from plenty of contending clubs as a depth option. That list of teams is believed to include the Bills, who previously signed Cooks last November after the Saints cut him loose. After producing a 5-114-0 line on 11 targets in five games with the Bills to close out the regular season, Cooks' most notable moment in a Buffalo uniform came in the divisional round of the playoffs, when he had a Josh Allen deep ball wrestled away from him for a game-shifting interception in overtime of a 33-30 loss to the Broncos. Despite the sour end to the past season, Cooks is hopeful to run it back with Buffalo as he pursues his first Super Bowl ring.
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Bills' Brandin Cooks: Gets expanded role with Buffalo
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Cooks appeared in 15 regular-season contests with the Saints (10 games) and Bills (five) in 2025 and caught 24 passes (on 36 targets) for 279 yards.
Cooks saw four targets or less in nine of his 10 games with the Saints. He requested a trade from New Orleans but was not moved by the trade deadline, which prompted the Saints to waive the veteran wideout in mid-November. Cooks opted to finish the year off with Buffalo, and his Bills tenure was highlighted by his performance in a Week 17 loss against the Eagles in which he caught four passes (on six targets) for 101 yards. Injuries to the Bills' pass-catching corps resulted in Cooks stepping into a larger role on offense during the postseason, when he logged five catches (on 11 targets) for 78 yards in two games. The 2014 first-round pick will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
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Bills' Brandin Cooks: Comes up big in wild-card win
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Cooks caught three of five targets for 58 yards in the Bills' 27-24 win over the Jaguars in the wild-card round Sunday.
The veteran wideout got open for a 36-yard gain just before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, helping to set up a one-yard TD plunge by Josh Allen for the game-winning score. Cooks has been a valuable addition for Buffalo since being picked up late in the regular season, and over his last two games he's delivered a 7-159-0 line on 11 targets while providing a downfield threat to complement possession receiver Khalil Shakir. Cooks will likely need to make an impact again if the Bills are going to advance past the divisional round next weekend.
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Bills' Brandin Cooks: Healthy heading into playoffs
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Cooks wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, confirming that he's healthy heading into Sunday's wild-card round game at Jacksonville.
Cooks was inactive for the regular-season finale against the Jets, but that was a coach's decision and the veteran wide receiver is healthy heading into the playoffs. It remains to be seen which options the Bills dress at the position against the Jaguars, as Cooks, Joshua Palmer (ankle), Tyrell Shavers, Gabe Davis and Keon Coleman have all contributed to various degrees but struggled to find consistency behind the team's No. 1 wideout Khalil Shakir. Cooks had 101 receiving yards in Week 17 against the Eagles but only 13 receiving yards across four other regular-season appearances with Buffalo.
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Bills' Brandin Cooks: Inactive Sunday
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Cooks is inactive for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Jets.
With Cooks being rested Sunday, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Tyrell Shavers, Gabe Davis and Keon Coleman are the Bills' available WRs in Week 18. Cooks' next chance to see game action is thus slated to arrive in the team's postseason opener.
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Bills' Brandin Cooks: Breaks out for 101 yards in Week 17
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Cooks corralled four of six targets for 101 yards in Sunday's 13-12 loss to the Eagles.
Cooks broke out in a big way after being held to one catch on five targets over his first four appearances with the Bills. The veteran wideout tallied his first 100-yard game since he was a member of the Cowboys back in 2023. Cooks finished behind only WR Khalil Shakir (6-35-0) for Buffalo in terms of targets and receptions in a game that starting TE Dalton Kincaid (knee) missed and WR Keon Coleman was a healthy scratch for. The 31-year-old Cooks' strong game may have helped solidify a role on offense for him as the Bills prepare to embark on a playoff run. If that scenario holds true, fantasy managers in deeper formats could benefit from rolling out Cooks against the Jets in Week 18, though it's worth noting the Bills may rest some key players in a finale that only affects seeding.
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Bills' Brandin Cooks: No catches again Sunday
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Cooks didn't catch his lone target during Sunday's 23-20 win over the Browns.
Cooks has gone without a catch in each of the Bills' last three games, despite playing 59 offensive snaps during that span. The veteran wideout has appeared in 14 games with Buffalo and New Orleans this season, catching 20 of 30 targets for 178 yards. He's expected to remain a minimal portion of the Bills' offensive game plan in the Week 17 matchup against the Eagles.
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Bills' Brandin Cooks: Not on injury report
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Cooks (undisclosed) was not listed on Wednesday's injury report.
Cooks was spotted entering the X-ray room with trainers after Buffalo's win over the Patriots in Week 15, but he appears to have only been receiving a precautionary examination. The veteran wideout didn't record a catch versus New England, but his three targets were the second most on the team. He'll continue operating as a depth wideout for Buffalo in Sunday's road matchup against the Browns.
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Bills' Brandin Cooks: No catches vs. New England
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Cooks (undisclosed) failed to catch any of his three targets during Sunday's 35-31 win over the Patriots.
Although Cooks played 22 offensive snaps and logged the second-most targets of any Bills receiver in Sunday's win, he was seen heading to the X-ray room with trainers following the game, per Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News. In three games with Buffalo, Cooks has caught just one of four targets for 13 yards. If he's able to suit up for the Week 16 matchup against the Browns, he'll likely remain a depth option in the team's receiving corps.
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Bills' Brandin Cooks: One catch in debut with Bills
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Cooks caught his lone target for 13 yards in Sunday's 26-7 win over the Steelers.
In his first game with the Bills after signing on Nov. 25, Cooks was understandably not a huge part of Buffalo's offensive plans. The veteran wideout played just 17 of the Bills' 74 offensive snaps, the lowest total of any wide receiver who saw action on offense Sunday. Though it's possible that his role will grow as the regular season progresses toward its end, Cooks faces an uphill battle to see consistent usage in an offense that tends to spread the ball around. Nonetheless, the 32-year-old will look to get more involved when the Bills host the Bengals in Week 14.
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Bills' Brandin Cooks: Finds new home in Buffalo
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Cooks signed a one-year contract with the Bills on Tuesday.
Buffalo marks the sixth NFL stop for Cooks, who has turned in six 1,000-plus-yard receiving campaigns while spending time with the Saints, Patriots, Rams, Texans and Cowboys over his 12-year career. During his second stint in New Orleans this season, Cooks was limited to 19 receptions for 165 yards and no touchdowns on 25 targets over 10 games before being cut last week. Though he'll benefit from a massive upgrade in quarterback play with the move to Buffalo, the 32-year-old wideout could struggle to see meaningful weekly target volume in a Josh Allen-led offensive attack that spreads the ball around to a number of pass catchers.
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Saints' Brandin Cooks: Ruled out while awaiting departure
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Cooks (personal) has been ruled out for Sunday's Week 12 matchup against Miami.
Cooks and the Saints mutually agreed earlier this week to part ways, but for now he's still on the team's roster. The reason for that, per Matthew Paras of nola.com, is that the two sides are working on adjusting his contract. It still seems to be a foregone conclusion that Cooks will hit the waiver wire in due time.
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Brandin Cooks: Agrees to part ways with Saints
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Cooks and New Orleans have mutually agreed to part ways Wednesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Cooks has spent the majority of the 2025 campaign operating as the No. 3 wide receiver for the Saints, and though he seemed a likely candidate to be moved ahead of the NFL's trade deadline, the team instead opted to part ways with Rashid Shaheed. Now a free agent, the 32-year-old wideout figures to search for an opportunity to compete elsewhere in the league, likely targeting teams that are in better position to earn a playoff berth. Across 10 regular-season games, Cooks has hauled in 19 of 25 targets for 165 scoreless receiving yards.
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Saints' Brandin Cooks: Catches two passes Week 9
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Cooks tallied two receptions (on three targets) for 16 yards during Sunday's 34-10 loss against the Rams.
Cooks once again operated as the Saints' WR3, finishing tied with RB1 Alvin Kamara for fourth on the team in targets behind Rashid Shaheed (nine), Chris Olave (four) and tight end Juwan Johnson (four). Through nine games, the 32-year-old wideout has now averaged 2.1 catches for 18.3 receiving yards per game. Cooks has also yet to eclipse 26 yards in a game this season. New Orleans will next play at Carolina in Week 10 on Sunday.
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Saints' Brandin Cooks: Sees one target again Week 7
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Cooks reeled in his only target for three yards during Sunday's 26-14 loss to the Bears.
Cooks has now logged exactly one target three weeks in a row. While he has not been supplanted as the WR3, the 32-year-old has been overshadowed completely by Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and tight end Juwan Johnson, as these three were targeted on 23 of Spencer Rattler's 32 passing attempts. Jack-of-all-trades tight end Taysom Hill also logged two catches Sunday, representing just another pass-catcher to pull targets away from Cooks. The wideout should continue to fulfill a reserve role, even if he's in the starting lineup, during the Week 8 matchup versus Tampa Bay.
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Saints' Brandin Cooks: Logs one target again
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Cooks caught his only target for 21 yards during Sunday's 25-19 loss to the Patriots.
Cooks logged a season low in targets for the second week in a row. The 32-year-old has served as the Saints' No. 3 wideout this season, but his production has looked more like that of a WR4, as he's averaged 2.2 catches on 2.8 targets for 20.7 yards per game. His fantasy numbers should remain negligible so long as Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and TE1 Juwan Johnson are healthy moving forward. His next opportunity will come during the Week 7 matchup versus the Bears on Sunday, Sept. 19.
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Saints' Brandin Cooks: Logs three catches again Sunday
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Cooks hauled in three of four targets for 22 yards during Sunday's 31-19 defeat versus the Bills.
Cooks nearly caught his second touchdown of the season on a 17-yard strike into the end zone from quarterback Spencer Rattler, but the call was reversed upon official review, which determined the 32-year-old wideout didn't maintain control through the ground. Cooks has put up almost the exact same stat line through each of the first four games this season, averaging 2.8 catches (on 3.8 targets) for 24.5 yards. His role as a WR3 in the Saints' struggling offense won't yield him much value aside from the deepest PPR leagues. Cooks should continue to operate behind wideout Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed during the Week 5 matchup versus the Giants.
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Saints' Brandin Cooks: Three catches in loss
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Cooks caught three of five targets for 24 yards in Sunday's 44-13 loss to the Seahawks.
Cooks operated as the Saints' No. 3 wide receiver, playing 51 of the team's 73 offensive snaps behind both Chris Olave (62) and Rashid Shaheed (54). The 31-year-old wideout has failed to record more than three catches in all three games this season, offering very little upside in New Orleans' struggling offense. Cooks is best left out of fantasy lineups heading into a Week 4 matchup against the Bills.
