The Pittsburgh Steelers could use more receiver production on offense. The team has reportedly been trying to add another wideout since trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in May. If the Steelers want, they could sign veteran wideout Brandin Cooks because he just became available in free agency.
But SI on Steelers’ Jack Markowski strongly argued Thursday that Cooks isn’t the answer.
“Cooks has had an excellent career, logging 9,697 yards and 60 touchdowns on 729 catches in 168 games, but he’s on the decline. Just last year, he missed seven games with a knee injury and finished with 259 yards while hauling in only 26 passes on 54 targets for the Cowboys,” wrote Markowski.
“Though Cooks is a big name, Pittsburgh should let some other contender take a chance on him, especially considering he’ll likely land a 53-man roster spot rather than settle for a practice squad opportunity.”
Cooks returned to the New Orleans Saints this year to play for the team that drafted him for the first time since 2016. But the homecoming was ultimately a disappointment.
In 10 games, Cooks posted 19 catches for 165 yards with zero touchdowns. He averaged a career-low 8.7 yards per reception.
The Saints released Cooks on Wednesday.
WR Brandin Cooks Requested Release From Saints
While Cooks’s return to New Orleans came with sentimental value, he didn’t come back for the league minimum. The Saints signed Cooks to a two-year, $13 million contract this past offseason.
But after 11 weeks, he was fifth on the team in receiving yards. Cooks posted fewer receiving yards than running back Alvin Kamara, who is averaging 5.9 yards per catch this season.
Interestingly, though, Saints head coach Kellen Moore told reporters Cooks requested to be released.
“He asked to be released and obviously it took a few days just to kind of go through that process just to make sure it worked for both parties and so his contract was kind of adjusted just to make it something that benefited both parties. He was awesome about it,” Moore said to the media Wednesday.
Cooks and his representatives wouldn’t have been contacting other teams before his release. But the receiver clearly prefers to test the free agent market rather than continue to not see opportunities in New Orleans.
Why Steelers Should Avoid Signing Cooks
Whether or not the Steelers should pursue the 32-year-old wideout really comes down to one question. Does Cooks offer an upgrade over what Pittsburgh already has in its receiver room?
Markowski stated he doesn’t.
“At this point, there’s no guarantee that Cooks would be a more reliable target for Aaron Rodgers (once healthy) than Calvin Austin III or even Roman Wilson,” he wrote.
It’s tough to argue that claim. Last season, Cooks had 26 catches, 259 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 10 games with the Cowboys. That’s not all that much more production than this season.
But it is also a steady decline, as Markowski mentioned. Cooks had 54 receptions, 657 yards and eight touchdowns during 2023.
He averaged 12.2 yards per catch in 2023, which was right in line with what he produced in 2022. Cooks then set a new career low with 10 yards per reception in 2024.
That’s dropped again to 8.7 this year.
In theory, Cooks would be a reliable veteran target, which Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson aren’t. But with their youth, Austin and Wilson offer more upside.
Austin has struggled recently. But he had more receiving yards in the first five games than Cooks has this entire season.
If the Steelers are going to turn to a veteran wideout, it makes more sense to trust Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who is already on Pittsburgh’s practice squad and has a previous relationship with Rodgers, than Cooks.
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