The 1-5-1 Houston Texans are dealing with drama that will affect them both on and off the field. Davis Mills will not have his No. 1 target Brandin Cooks when they host the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night, as the wide receiver is out due to personal reasons, per NFL Media.
Cooks missed practice on Tuesday and Wednesday this week due to personal reasons. The veteran wideout was a name that was thrown around prior to Tuesday's trade deadline, but a deal never came to fruition. Cooks reportedly thought he was going to be traded, and was even "liking" tweets on Twitter about him being dealt. When Cooks wasn't traded by the 4 p.m. ET deadline, however, he took to social media to voice his 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
It's a bit ironic, as Cooks has already been traded three times in his career. He agreed this offseason to make Houston his home by signing a two-year deal in April. Now, he apparently wants out.
The Texans and Cooks, per Mike Garafolo, will continue to talk and reset after Thursday night's contest. Tom Pelissero reported that Cooks' former team, the Los Angeles Rams, were interested in trading for him this week, as were the Dallas Cowboys. Sports Illustrated reported that the two teams were in the neighborhood on compensation, but that Cooks' $18 million guarantee in 2023 was the deal-breaker.
Cooks leads the Texans in targets (53), receptions (32) and receiving yards (354) this season. Without him, Houston's offense will surely take a huge hit. The Texans already statistically have the second-worst offense in the league, as they average just 288.7 yards of total offense per game.
