Cooks (knee) is listed as a limited participant after Wednesday's walk-through practice, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Cooks resumed practicing one day after the Cowboys designated him to return from injured reserve. There's a 21-day window in which he can practice without being activated to the roster, but head coach Mike McCarthy suggested Tuesday that Cooks could play as soon as Sunday against the Commanders. The 31-year-old didn't have much luck working with Dak Prescott (IR - hamstring) earlier this season and isn't likely to do much for fantasy managers now that the Cowboys have backup Cooper Rush starting at QB.
Dallas designated Cooks (knee) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Patrik Walker of the Cowboys' official site reports.
Cooks will resume practicing with the Cowboys on Wednesday, opening up a 21-day window for the team to evaluate him for a return to the 53-man roster. The veteran wideout hasn't suited up since the Cowboys' Sept. 26 win over the Giants after developing an infection on his right knee from a minor surgical procedure, and given the length of his absence, he may need more than one week of practice before Dallas is willing to clear him for game action. Whenever he's activated, Cooks should reclaim a regular spot in three-receiver sets alongside CeeDee Lamb and Jalen Tolbert.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Gearing up for return
Rotowire
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday that Cooks (knee) is getting close to a return from injured reserve and could be activated as soon as this week, Saad Yousuf of The Athletic reports.
Before becoming a realistic candidate to play this Sunday against the Commanders, Cooks will first have to return to practice, as the Cowboys have yet to open his 21-day evaluation window. McCarthy's comments suggest that the veteran wideout is improving after he developed an infection in his right knee following a surgical procedure, but the team still may want to take a cautious approach with his return. The 3-7 Cowboys have faded from the NFC playoff picture following five consecutive losses and have little incentive to rush him back. Cooks suited up in each of Dallas' first four games of the season and recorded nine catches for 91 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Not cleared to practice Wednesday
Rotowire
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said that Cooks (knee) is progressing, but the receiver won't practice Wednesday, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
Dallas has yet to open the 21-day evaluation window for Cooks, who was placed on injured reserve Oct. 5 due to an infection in his right knee that required a procedure. Though Cooks has missed the required four games while on IR, his absence from practice to begin Week 10 prep suggests that he's likely to remain out for Sunday's game against the Eagles.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Shifts to IR
Rotowire
Cooks (knee) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
While Cooks' right knee operation earlier this week seemingly came out of nowhere, Saturday's designation is hardly surprising considering the severity of the aforementioned event. Expect Jalen Tolbert to step into a prominent role opposite CeeDee Lamb as a featured pass catcher, with tight end Jake Ferguson also in the mix as a significant target.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Won't play Week 5
Rotowire
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday that Cooks (knee) will not be available for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Cooks underwent an operation on his right knee in New York following Dallas' road win over the Giants last Thursday, and he's now dealing with an infection related to that procedure. The Cowboys have yet to determine whether Cooks' recovery timetable will extend beyond a single game. In the meantime, Jalen Tolbert will operate as the Cowboys' No. 2 wide receiver behind top option CeeDee Lamb. KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks will also step into larger roles on offense, while rookie sixth-rounder Ryan Flournoy could get a chance to make his NFL debut. McCarthy also noted that Dallas could promote further depth off the practice squad.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Only one grab in Week 4
Rotowire
Cooks caught one of four targets for 16 yards in Thursday's win over the Giants.
The veteran wideout did see one more target than Jalen Tolbert, but otherwise it was another disappointing showing for Cooks. The 31-year-old has been out-produced by the younger Tolbert in three straight games, and Cooks' 9-91-1 line on 19 targets through four weeks has him on pace for career lows in yards per reception (10.1) and yards per target (a woeful 4.8). He has yet to have a gain of 40 or more yards in 20 contests with Dallas, and Cooks' ability to stretch the field appears to be leaving him as he heads into what might be the final stage of his career.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Just two catches Sunday
Rotowire
Cooks caught two of six targets for 16 yards in Sunday's loss to the Ravens.
The six targets were a marked improvement on the two he got last week, but Cooks failed to do much with the additional volume and was out-produced by Jalen Tolbert for the second straight game. Tolbert could be emerging as the Cowboys' new No. 2 wideout behind CeeDee Lamb, but Cooks will get a chance to reassert himself Week 4 against the Giants.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Quiet in Week 2 loss
Rotowire
Cooks caught both his targets for 19 yards and lost three yards on one carry in Sunday's 44-19 loss to the Saints.
The Cowboys were down 35-16 heading into halftime, but Cooks still didn't see much volume as the team tried desperately to catch up in the second half. Instead, it was Jalen Tolbert who stepped up with a 6-82-0 line on nine targets. Cooks did score a TD in Dallas' opener, but otherwise he hasn't been able to make much of an impact, and if Tolbert continues to impress, he could pass the veteran on the depth chart. Cooks will try to break out Week 3 against a Ravens secondary that ranks in the bottom 10 in catches allowed to wideouts so far.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Sleeper WRs
Rotowire
We'll see if Jake Ferguson (knee) can play in Week 2 against the Saints, but if he's out, then that increases the value for Cooks even more against the team that drafted him in 2014. Cooks has faced the Saints three times in his career, and he's scored at least 16.4 PPR points in two of those outings with two touchdowns. He's coming off a quality Fantasy performance in Week 1 at Cleveland with four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, and Cooks has now scored a touchdown in eight of his past 13 games going back to last season. He's worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Week 2 Adds (WR Preview)
Rotowire
Cooks saw seven targets in Week 1. That's an important number. He only had that many in five games last year, but he averaged 16 PPR Fantasy points in those five games. If he can start consistently earning seven targets per week, he may be a Fantasy starter again.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
Rotowire
Cooks had four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown on seven targets in Week 1 at Cleveland. He could see an uptick in targets if Jake Ferguson (knee) is going to miss significant time, and the Cowboys passing game might be more prominent this season with the run game expected to struggle. Cooks is worth adding for 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: First touchdown of 2024
Rotowire
Cooks recorded four receptions on seven targets for 40 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 33-17 win over Cleveland. He added one rush for five yards.
Cooks occupied the No. 2 receiver role in Dallas' offense and delivered a pair of catches of at least 15 yards. He did record the team's only offensive touchdown through the air, which came midway through the first quarter on a 21-yard catch. Cooks is coming off his two worst statistical seasons as a pro, but the lack of proven alternatives in Dallas should mean he will continue to get targets.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Not listed on practice report
Rotowire
Cooks (knee) wasn't listed on the Cowboys' injury report Wednesday, Nick Harris of the team's official site reports.
Cooks exited practice Aug. 15 due to a sore knee, which contained him to the rehab group and/or no practice at all in the interim. The cautious approach from the Cowboys appears to have paid off in advance of Sunday's season opener at Cleveland, where he'll serve as Dallas' No. 2 wideout behind CeeDee Lamb. Last season, the role equated to a 54-657-8 receiving line on 81 targets for Cooks in 16 games.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
Rotowire
Cooks is dealing with a knee injury, so we'll see what his status is for Week 1 against Cleveland. When healthy, Cooks should be the No. 2 receiver in Dallas, and he's worth stashing on your bench. Last season, Cooks scored seven touchdowns in his final 11 games and reached at least 14.2 PPR points in six of those outings. In deeper leagues, you can take a flier on Jalen Tolbert (0 percent rostered) as well.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Will miss next two practices
Rotowire
Coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday that Cooks (knee) will miss the Cowboys' next two practices for personal reasons, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Cooks, who worked with the rehab group Monday due to lingering knee soreness, will miss sessions Tuesday and Wednesday to fly back to Dallas, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. With CeeDee Lamb (holdout) still away from the team, Cooks' brief absence will provide Jalen Tolbert with another chance to lead the team's wide receiver group during practice.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Dealing with knee soreness
Rotowire
Cooks departed Thursday's practice early due to knee soreness, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Cooks reportedly pulled up gingerly during a route during Wednesday's joint practice with the Rams, which could be how his knee soreness originated. The veteran wide receiver's injury doesn't currently look too serious, but with No. 1 wideout CeeDee Lamb (contract dispute) still holding out from camp, any time missed by Cooks could significantly impact the first-team offense in pass-catching drills. As long as Cooks is sidelined, Jalen Tolbert will have an opportunity to handle an increased role at practice.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Having strong camp
Rotowire
Cooks continues to show excellent chemistry with Dak Prescott during training camp, Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf of The Athletic report.
CeeDee Lamb's holdout has allowed Cooks to operate as the Cowboys' No. 1 receiver in camp, and the veteran has taken advantage. "He's having a hell of a camp," coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday. "I think we had a statistic last week that throughout every three catches that he's made in the team work has been either a touchdown or a big play." Cooks had a somewhat disappointing first season with Dallas in 2023, failing to see at least 100 targets while playing at least 15 regular-season games for the first time in his career. His eight TDs were his best total since 2016 though, and the 30-year-old speedster is still in great shape. Cooks still seems capable of putting up big numbers if he gets the volume, something which could depend on Lamb's status for Week 1.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Scores eight TDs in 2023
Rotowire
Cooks caught 54 of 81 targets for 657 yards and eight touchdowns over 16 regular-season games in 2023. He added 35 rushing yards on five carries.
The veteran speedster was brought in last offseason to provide more consistent support in the passing game for CeeDee Lamb, but Cooks was basically invisible through his first month as a Cowboy. Cooks' production began to pick up once he scored his first TD of the season Week 6 against the Chargers, but the 30-year-old still finished the campaign with his lowest yardage total over a 16-game slate. Despite that fact, his eight scores were his most since 2016. Cooks will get a $3 million bonus if he's still on the roster March 17, so he's a candidate to be cut before then, but his $8 million salary for 2024 is reasonable given his role.
... See More... See Less
Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Finds end zone in Week 18 win
Rotowire
Cooks caught six of eight passes for 39 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-10 win over the Commanders.
The veteran wideout put the finishing touches on the rout with Dallas' final TD of the day on a five-yard pass from Dak Prescott late in the third quarter. Cooks had a sluggish start to his Cowboys tenure and ended up well short of reaching 1,000 receiving yards for the seventh time in his career, but his eight receiving touchdowns were his highest mark since 2016. Five of those scores came in the last seven games, and Cooks could find pay dirt again in the wild-card round as Dallas hosts a vulnerable Green Bay secondary.
