49ers Reportedly Add Veteran Cooks to Practice Squad
14 sourcesUpdated Sep 23, 2026
The San Francisco 49ers plan to sign veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks to their practice squad, a league source told The Athletic's Matt Barrows on Tuesday. Cooks arrived at the team facility that day and turns 33 on Friday. He is entering his 13th NFL season and has played for the Saints, Patriots, Rams, Texans, Cowboys and Bills. He sits 189 receiving yards short of 10,000 for his career, which would make him the 58th player to hit the mark. The move follows a high-ankle sprain to Demarcus Robinson against the Miami Dolphins that is likely to land him on injured reserve, with Mike Evans dealing with a hip injury and De'Zhaun Stribling already on injured reserve. Last season Cooks played 10 games for the Saints before a trade to the Bills for five more; his 2025 line was 24 catches, 279 yards and no touchdowns, including 14 first-down receptions. His last high-volume year was 2021 with Houston, at 90 catches, 1,037 yards and six touchdowns. Sports Illustrated also lists Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk among receivers out; No factual dispute divides outlets on the core signing, and no right-leaning coverage was rated. The deal was not yet official.
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At this stage of his career Cooks brings experience the 49ers can use if they elevate him.
Cooks should help stabilize the receiver room while the starters recover from injuries.
