Brandin Cooks is a wide receiver who plays for the Houston Texans in the NFL. On April 7, 2022, he signed a 2-year contract extension worth $39.6 million with the Texans, of which $36 million is guaranteed. 

Who is Brandin Cooks?

Brandin Cooks was born on September 25, 1994, in Stockton, California. He lost his father at the age of 6 and was raised by his mother along with his 3 brothers. He did his high schooling at Lincoln High School, where a promising football career saw him ranked as the 26th best wide receiver in the country from his class. He committed to Oregon State University to play his college football for the Oregon State Beavers from 2011-13. 

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In 2013, his 3rd year in the college circuit, Cooks won the Fred Biletnikoff Award which is presented to the most outstanding receiver of the season in American college football, becoming just the 2nd player from Oregon State to do so. 

Cooks declared for the 2014 NFL Draft and was a first-round selection as the New Orleans Saints made him the 20th overall pick of the draft with a 4-year $8.3 million rookie contract. He thus became the highest drafted player from Oregon State since 1950. 

He made his professional and NFL debut in a 37—34 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons, catching 7 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. This made him the youngest player since 1997 to have caught a touchdown. His rookie season was cut short when he broke his thumb, but he returned the following season, in 2015, to lead the Saints in all categories- with 84 catches for 1,138 yards and nine touchdowns in 16 games, of which 12 were starts.

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In 2017, he was traded to the New England Patriots and made his first playoff appearances that season as the Patriots finished on top of the AFC East. He played in the divisional round win over the Tennessee Titans, as well as the AFC championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but had to bow out of the Super Bowl LII, which the Patriots lost 41-33, early due to a concussion.

The following year, in 2018, he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams and was subsequently given a 5-year contract extension worth $81 million of which $50.5 million was guaranteed.

That season, he became the first player in the history of the NFL to have completed 1000 receiving yards in three consecutive seasons with three different teams. He made his second consecutive Super Bowl appearance as well as the LA Rams went all the way to face off with Cook’s former team the New England Patriots. Sadly for him, he ended up on the losing side yet again.

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On April 10, 2020, Cooks was traded to the Houston Texans. He finished his season with 1150 yards and six touchdowns, thus joining Brandon Marshall as one of only two players in NFL history to have recorded thousand-yard receiving seasons with four different teams.

Despite rumours that he would be traded, Cooks ended up signing a two-year extension with the Houston Texans on April 7, 2022. His new contract was worth $39.6 million, out of which $36 million was guaranteed.