Concussions not a concern for Cooks
Despite injury history, Texans WR hopes to shine in first year with team
Brandin Cooks’ blistering speed allows him to create separation as one of the most dangerous deep threats in the game.
Growing up in California, the Texans’ new wide receiver was one of the fastest players in the state. He once ran the 100 meters in 10.72 seconds at the Pac-12 championships at Oregon State. And Cooks ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds at the NFL scouting combine.
That explosiveness, along with sound hands and route-running skills, prompted the Saints to draft Cooks 20th overall six years ago, and for three teams to subsequently trade for him: the Patriots,
Rams and Texans, who acquired Cooks along with a 2022 fourth-round draft pick in March in exchange for a second-round selection.
Cooks has 402 career receptions for 5,730 yards and 34 touchdowns in six NFL seasons with a 14.3 average per reception. He’s caught passes from Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Jared Goff before arriving in Houston, where he’s trying to quickly build chemistry with quarterback Deshaun Watson during a truncated offseason because of the coronavirus pandemic.
So, why is a player as good as Cooks on his fourth NFL roster? Some of that job-hopping can be attributed to health reasons, including a history of concussions.
The other side of the coin is that NFL teams value Cooks enough to trade for him at the expense of valuable draft capital and money. That includes first- and
third-round picks from the Patriots in 2017 and the Rams trading a first- and sixth-round pick in 2018 before signing him to a fiveyear, $81 million contract that included $50.5 million guaranteed.
Cooks has grown accustomed to having to quickly relocate and find a new comfort zone.
“It’s been a blessing for me,” Cooks said. “One of the things that I reflect and look back on when I have time is like, ‘I’ve been blessed with special teams, special quarterbacks and great coaches.’ But, at the same time, they have the blessing of playing with me as well.
“So when it comes to the success that I’ve had throughout the league since I entered, things I can’t control, I keep out of my hands and I just continue to focus on the grind and being the best teammate and best player that I can possibly be.”
As the most accomplished receiver on the Texans’ roster, Cooks is trying to fill a void created when DeAndre Hopkins was traded to the Cardinals.
Watson has been able to throw with Cooks a handful of times, including time spent working out together during a primarily virtual offseason. They’re working overtime to build timing and rhythm since the start of training camp.
“That chemistry came natural,” Watson said. “Since we got him, we definitely kind of built that chemistry. We’ve been talking ever since. Working out with him has been good. He’s just a great person. A guy that you just want to be around.
“He’s seen so much football, been around so many people. He’s played with Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Jared Goff, so he’s seen a lot of different quarterbacks in a lot of different ways. He’s giving me knowledge on what he’s learned from different people and he’s learning from me, which is awesome.”
When the Texans open the regular season Sept. 10 against the Chiefs, Cooks and Watson will put their newly formed relationship to the test. So far, Cooks is encouraged by what he’s seen from Watson.
“I think it was more so watching film and just getting in person like, ‘Man, this guy throws a beautiful deep ball on the film, but is it like that in real life?’ ” Cooks said “That was definitely the case. It’s so effortless.
“His talent is out of this world. When he’s throwing the ball, it just seems like it’s so easy. To be able to match that up with watching film was incredible to see in person.”
Although the violent shots that Cooks has absorbed have jolted his compact 5-10, 183-pound body and raised a few eyebrows over the years, he emphasized that he’s not worried about his health and is comfortable playing.
“Zero,” Cooks said when asked if he had any concerns. “I’m not worried at all. If there was any hesitation or worry, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
Cooks has had at least five documented concussions in six seasons but has only missed two games in the past five years.
Cooks’ production declined sharply in 2019, when he was limited to 42 catches for 583 yards and two touchdowns while dealing with concussion issues one season after catching 80 passes for 1,204 yards and five touchdowns.
League sources not authorized to speak publicly say Cook hasn’t experienced severe symptoms, and he ended the season healthy after being checked out by multiple neurological specialists.
“At the end of the day, things happen in this game that you wish don’t happen,” Cooks said. “But when you start to learn through this process and you really start to get an understanding on what this is, there is just so much out there that people just don’t understand that goes into it.
“Everybody thinks, ‘Oh, it’s just impact.’ But without going into specifics, I’m comfortable and I feel great and I look forward to continue to just do what I have to do and go out there and give it my all.”
Cooks helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl in 2018, playing a key role during his first season in Los Angeles. Now, he’s hoping to take the Texans further into the postseason in his first season with them.
“I think my mindset is going to continue to be the same: get open as fast as I can within the timing and rhythm of the play,” Cooks said. “If things break down, knowing that we have a quarterback back there that can escape and extend the play, but I don’t want to have the mindset of thinking that I have a lot more time to do something just because of his abilities. I want to be able to take that pressure off him as well.”