The Houston Texans moved to lock up receiver Brandin Cooks through the 2024 season. The 28-year-old wideout stays with Houston and provides a productive target for second-year quarterback Davis Mills.
Lovie Smith met with reporters on April 11, the first day of offseason workouts, and declared that it meant “a lot” to have a veteran receiver of Cooks’ caliber committed to the franchise for the foreseeable future.
“Brandin has been through an awful lot,” Smith said. “He’s a guy that’s done it a few different places, but what I was able to see from a different position last year was just how he went to work every day, too.”
Despite the Texans posting four wins in each of the past two seasons, Cooks has not let the dysfunction and disruptions at quarterback affect his own production. The former Oregon State Beaver has generated two 1,000-yard receiving seasons and caught six touchdown passes in each of the past two years.
What the Texans also value with Cooks is his ability to show younger players how to prepare and carry themselves like a pro.
Said Smith: “You have veterans that you want on the team to show the younger guys how to play, how to handle themselves as a pro.”
In order for Cooks to sign the extension, it took the wideout having a positive feeling about the organization, which obviously saw his inclusion in their future plans as a benefit.
“Brandin feels really good about being here,” said Smith. “We talked about those other players wanting to be here, Brandin is another one that wanted to be here. He believes in that vision for our football team and what we can do. I’m excited to have him back.”
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