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Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2019.
In Cooks’ final season with the Los Angeles Rams, he caught 42 passes for 583 yards and two touchdowns. Aside from the receiving yards, the other two totals were career lows compared to his rookie season when he played in 10 games. What exacerbated the quality of his decreased production was the fact he started in all 14 of his games with Los Angeles.
The 26-year-old, who is on the fourth team of his career, just chalks it up to an off year with the Rams.
“I think there were a lot of nuances that was going on last year, not just for me but from a team standpoint,” Cooks said on a video conference with the Houston media April 30. “We had a lot going on and at the end of the day I dealt with some things on the field, but that does not go to show what type of player I am, the production I’ve been putting in year in and year out since I’ve been in the league.”
Indeed the 2019 season broke up Cooks’ streak of 1,000-yard seasons that had stretched for four seasons, and included two trips to the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2017 and the Rams in 2018. Since entering the league, Cooks also managed to catch at least 50 passes a season.
“That was just one of those off years, but it comes with the game,” Cooks said. “That definitely is not the trend that you should be looking for from me as a player.”
Though Cooks is not able to join the Texans in a formal capacity due to the complications from the COVID-19 pandemic, Cooks has been communicating with members of the Texans’ receiving corps, including Will Fuller and Kenny Stills, who was a teammate of Cooks’ with the New Orleans Saints in 2014.
“We’ve been meeting in our Zoom meetings as a team, but just on the side texting both of them, two great guys,” Cooks said. “I played with Kenny my first year in the league. They’re doing a great job of just helping me along the way and I appreciate it.”
If Cooks can get back to having a 1,000-yard season with the Texans and giving quarterback Deshaun Watson another speedy receiver to target, it should help Houston defend their AFC South title.
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