Eagles versus Texans: Brandin Cooks won’t play versus Philadelphia
Well, this is interesting. It appears that, when the Philadelphia Eagles kick off Week 9 on Thursday Night Football, they’ll be playing a Houston Texans team that’s without one of its better offensive weapons. Brandin Cooks is out of the lineup despite being healthy. Nico Collins is out as well.
According to multiple sources, one being ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cooks sat out of Tuesday and Wednesday practice sessions as there was an expectation that he would be traded prior to the NFL’s deadline on November 1st. As you know, he wasn’t. That now leaves Houston with a dilemma in terms of how they may attack Philly’s defense. They may have a disgruntled wideout on their 53-man roster as well.
Here’s more from Schefter.
One of the main reasons Houston was unable to trade WR Brandin Cooks was because it wanted second- and fourth-round picks in return for him, per sources. No team was willing to trade a 2 and 4, and assume Cooks’ $18 million fully guaranteed money for next season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 3, 2022
Without Brandin Cooks in the lineup, the Texans are shorthanded versus the Eagles’ defense.
The Eagles have been favored by two scores all week. With Davis Mills now armed with the knowledge that his best wide receiver is out of the lineup, don’t be shocked if the line grows (the Eagles were favored by 14 points at last glance).
Schefter also reports that The Texans were looking for second-round and fourth-round draft selections in exchange for Cooks’ service. It appears that no team was willing to pay such a stiff price. Keep in mind the fact that he also has $18 million in guaranteed money remaining on his current deal.
Cooks is upset. He’s disappointed that he’s still in Houston. This is bad news for the Texans for several reasons, but in the short-term, as far as the Eagles are concerned, this puts them in a better position to secure a win in Week 9.