Brandin Cooks wants nothing to do with a Texans rebuild, ‘however that looks’
Brandin Cooks still wants out of Houston
Brandin Cooks still wants out of Houston.
The Texans star wide receiver made it very clear on Monday, just hours after the franchise fired coach Lovie Smith after one season, that he wants nothing to do with rebuilding in Houston.
"I'm not going into this offseason thinking I want to be a part of a rebuild," Cooks said, via ESPN’s DJ Bein-Aime.
"I'm not looking at it as far as being a part of a rebuild, however that looks. That's why I trust my camp and my representation to be able to get a map from here to there and to see what that looks like to be a part of something that has a trusted plan."
While that’s very blunt, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Cooks requested a trade earlier this season, and was a name that many expected would be moved ahead of the trade deadline. He wasn’t, however, and that seemed to really upset him.
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
“I was frustrated, absolutely. I want to win, that’s not the case,” Cooks said after sending that tweet. “That’s what’s going on. That’s the way I expressed my emotion. I think we all want to win. We’re all frustrated in some sense.”
Cooks signed a two-year, $36 million contract extension with the Texans before the season. He’s due to earn $18 million in 2023. The 29-year-old finished the year with a team-high 699 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
As a very solid receiver in the league, it’s easy to understand why Cooks was frustrated throughout the season. The Texans were terrible, finishing with just a 3-13-1 record, and quarterback Davis Mills struggled all year. That doesn’t give Cooks much to work with.
The Texans will now start searching for a new head coach. After that’s settled, the team will likely meet with Cooks and determine a path forward there. If Cooks gets his way, don’t expect him to be back in Houston next fall.
