New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots formally have an opportunity to reunite with a former playmaker.
Brandin Cooks cleared waivers on Monday and is now a free agent, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The New Orleans Saints released the veteran wide receiver last week.
Cooks stayed with New Orleans beyond the Nov. 4 trade deadline rather than getting dealt a record-setting fifth time. He didn’t receive a single target in his last game with the team that drafted him in 2014.
The 12-year pro leaves the Big Easy with 19 catches for 165 yards in 10 games. Cooks caught his only target for 21 yards, his longest play of the season, in a Week 6 loss to the Patriots.
Cooks spent his first three seasons with the Saints before they traded him to the Patriots in 2017. He tallied 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns before recording 155 yards in three postseason games.
The Patriots sent him to the Los Angeles Rams that offseason, and Cooks got traded to the Houston Texans in 2020 and the Dallas Cowboys in 2023. Finally getting the chance to make his own choice, he rejoined the Saints on a two-year contract in March.
Cooks can now join a contender in search of his first Super Bowl ring. A Patriots reunion could be on the table, but they’re probably not desperate to add receiving depth with Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas forming a productive pass-catching group for Drake Maye.
