Bills free agent Brandin Cooks gets contract news on return to Buffalo
Bills free agent Brandin Cooks gets contract news on return to Buffalo originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Right now, Brandin Cooks doesn’t have a team.
After finishing the season with the Buffalo Bills, Cooks remains a free agent.
There’s at least a chance of him returning to Buffalo.
This is what Bills reporter Sal Capaccio posted on X on Monday:
“Brandon Beane said he’s had conversations with Brandin Cooks and his agent. Cooks remains a free agent right now.”
Cooks is at the point in his career where he can wait things out and seek out what ends up being the best opportunity as the season gets closer.
By the same token, if he and the Bills liked one another enough, there’s no reason for the 32-year old to wait too long, if Buffalo is offering a contract that he feels is fair.
Cooks joined the Bills late in the 2025 season as a last-ditch WR option, and in five regular season games, he had five catches for 114 yards.
In the postseason, Cooks added five catches for 78 yards in two games.
Of course, his most notable moment was the one not called a catch in overtime against the Broncos, a play that was instead ruled an interception for Denver that set up the game-winning field goal.
Maybe it’d be tough vibes for Bills Mafia to have Cooks back — or maybe it’d be a feeling of trying to get some redemption.
Either way, the Bills at this point aren’t in position to turn away potentially helpful wideouts. Cooks could still be useful as a guy lower on the depth chart.
Buffalo Bills Have Spoken to 6x 1,000-Yard Receiver
Wide receiver has been a controversial position for the Buffalo Bills in recent seasons, really ever since they moved on from Stefon Diggs. While the team is still a strong annual playoff contender as long as they have Josh Allen, some can’t help but wonder if the team would experience more postseason success with improved playmakers to help their MVP quarterback.
The Bills did make one potentially impactful move by trading the 60th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Bears in exchange for DJ Moore, plus the 165th overall pick. But is that enough?
It turns out, Buffalo may not be done.
According to Bills general manager Brandon Beane, the team has already spoken to former Buffalo receiver (now free agent) Brandin Cooks.
He’s an extremely accomplished receiver with a whopping six 1,000-yard receiving seasons to his name. Yet, Cooks is also set to turn 33 when the season gets underway. He also hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2021.
Cooks spent five games with the Bills last season, but he only wound up producing five receptions for 114 yards on 11 targets. Perhaps another season in first-year head coach Joe Brady’s system can help Cooks become a more impactful contributor in Buffalo. Yet, history suggests he’s not the playmaking solution Buffalo has been looking for.
Still, that doesn’t mean he can’t help the Bills in a complementary role to their top receivers. Plus, he certainly won’t break the bank as a free agent who hasn’t topped 279 yards since 2023. In other words, while it never hurts to give him a chance to impress, the Bills may be better off giving that opportunity to a younger receiver with more long-term upside than one who’s best days are long gone.