Brandin Cooks signs with 49ers practice squad — SkimNews
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- Brandin Cooks is signing with the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad as a free agent, per a source, initially to get up to speed for games
- The 49ers have lost wide receivers Ricky Pearsall, De'Zhaun Stribling, and Demarcus Robinson to injury this season, with Mike Evans also needing management this week for a hip injury
- Cooks was the 20th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Saints out of Oregon State and has compiled 734 career receptions for 9,811 yards and 62 total touchdowns across 12 seasons
- Cooks was waived by the Saints in November 2025 after requesting his release, then joined the Buffalo Bills for the remainder of last season
- Cooks was at the center of a controversial overtime play in the Bills' divisional-round loss at Denver, where a Josh Allen downfield pass was ruled an interception by Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian, ending Buffalo's season and prompting then-coach Sean McDermott to publicly criticize the officiating process
- Cooks has also played for the Patriots, Rams, Texans, and Cowboys, and appeared in Super Bowls LII and IIII with New England and Los Angeles, losing both
Why it matters: The 49ers are down to a threadbare receiver corps with Pearsall, Stribling, and Robinson on injured lists and Evans limited by a hip injury, and Cooks' 12-year track record — including 9,811 receiving yards — gives San Francisco an experienced depth option on the practice squad to develop quickly into game-ready help.
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