Brandin Cooks Bio
Brandin Tawan Cooks, born on September 25, 1993, is an American professional football wide receiver currently playing for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He rose to national prominence as a consensus All-American at Oregon State University, where his record-setting 2013 season earned him the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top college receiver. Selected 20th overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 2014 NFL draft, Cooks has built a reputation as one of the league’s most consistent deep threats, producing 1,000-yard receiving seasons with four different franchises. Across his professional career, he has also played for the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, and Dallas Cowboys.
Early Life and Background
Brandin Tawan Cooks was born in Stockton, California, to Worth Cooks Sr. and Andrea Glasper Cooks. His father died of a heart attack when Brandin was six years old, after which he and his three brothers, Fred, Worth Jr., and Andre, were raised by their mother. Growing up in Stockton shaped Cooks’ competitive drive, and he became a multisport athlete during his formative years.
Cooks attended Lincoln High School in Stockton, where he starred for the Trojans football team. As a sophomore, he posted 29 receptions for 600 yards and seven touchdowns, then followed with 46 receptions for 783 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior, while also contributing on defense with three interceptions. His senior year was his most productive, with 66 receptions for 1,125 yards and 11 touchdowns, and the Rivals.com recruiting network ranked him as the 26th-best wide receiver and 240th overall prospect in his class. Beyond football, he also played basketball and ran track.
Path to American Football
Originally committed to play college football at UCLA, Cooks changed his commitment and signed with Oregon State University, where he played from 2011 to 2013 under head coach Mike Riley. He stepped onto the field as a true freshman and wasted little time making an impact, recording 31 receptions for 391 yards and three touchdowns while also handling kick-return duties. His development accelerated under Riley’s staff, and by his junior year he had become the centerpiece of the Beavers’ offense alongside quarterback Sean Mannion.
The 2013 season marked Cooks’ transformation into a national star. He finished the year with 128 receptions for 1,730 yards and 16 touchdowns, leading the NCAA in receiving yards and shattering Oregon State’s single-season receptions record. His performance earned him the Fred Biletnikoff Award, first-team All-Pac-12 honors, and consensus All-American recognition, making him the second Oregon State player to win the Biletnikoff Award after Mike Hass in 2005. On January 2, 2014, Cooks announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
Brandin Cooks Career
Early Career (2014–2016)
The New Orleans Saints selected Cooks with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, the highest a wide receiver had ever been taken out of Oregon State. In his debut against the Atlanta Falcons, he caught seven passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, becoming the youngest player in nearly two decades to record a receiving score. A broken thumb limited him to 10 games during his rookie year, but he returned healthy in 2015 and led the Saints with 84 receptions for 1,138 yards and nine touchdowns.
In 2016, Cooks produced another standout campaign, highlighted by a 98-yard touchdown reception that set the Saints’ franchise record for the longest play from scrimmage. He finished the season with 78 receptions for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns, ranking seventh in the NFL in receiving yards. Across his three seasons in New Orleans, he emerged as a dynamic field-stretcher and a fan favorite, but the Saints ultimately decided to move on, sending him to the New England Patriots in March 2017.
New England Patriots (2017)
Cooks arrived in New England as part of a major trade that sent multiple draft picks to New Orleans, and he quickly justified the Patriots’ investment. In a Week 3 victory over the Houston Texans, he caught five passes for 131 yards, including a 25-yard game-winning touchdown with 23 seconds left. He finished the regular season with 65 receptions for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns, teaming with tight end Rob Gronkowski to form the Patriots’ first 1,000-yard receiving duo since 2011.
The Patriots finished 13–3 and earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and Cooks contributed in both the Divisional Round and the AFC Championship Game. In Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles, he registered a 23-yard reception and a 1-yard rush before leaving the game in the second quarter with a concussion, forcing him to watch the rest of the 41–33 loss from the sideline.
Los Angeles Rams (2018–2019)
On April 3, 2018, the Patriots traded Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams, who promptly signed him to a five-year, $81 million extension. He made an immediate splash, opening the year with 159 receiving yards against the Arizona Cardinals and eclipsing 1,000 yards for the season against the Detroit Lions. In the process, he became the first player in NFL history to record 1,000 receiving yards in three consecutive seasons with three different teams.
Cooks finished the 2018 regular season with 80 receptions for a career-high 1,204 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Rams claim the No. 2 seed in the NFC. He delivered a strong postseason run, including a seven-catch, 107-yard performance in the NFC Championship Game against his former Saints team, before reaching Super Bowl LIII against the Patriots. In that low-scoring 13–3 loss, he caught eight passes for 120 yards but missed critical touchdown opportunities, including a late drop in the end zone.
The 2019 season proved more difficult, as a pair of concussions cost him four games. Cooks finished with 42 receptions for 583 yards and two touchdowns, his lowest totals since his rookie year, and the Rams finished 9–7 and missed the playoffs.
Houston Texans (2020–2022)
On April 10, 2020, the Rams traded Cooks to the Houston Texans. He made an immediate impact, catching eight passes for 161 yards and his first Texans touchdown in a Week 5 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he finished the year with 81 receptions for 1,150 yards and six touchdowns. That performance made him one of only two players in NFL history, alongside Brandon Marshall, to record a 1,000-yard receiving season with four different teams.
Cooks followed with another 1,000-yard season in 2021, setting a career high with 90 receptions for 1,037 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Texans in all major receiving categories. On April 7, 2022, he signed a two-year, $39.6 million contract extension with $36 million guaranteed. A calf injury limited him late in the 2022 season, and he finished with 57 receptions for 699 yards and three touchdowns as Houston stumbled to a 3–13–1 record.
Dallas Cowboys (2023–2024)
On March 19, 2023, the Texans traded Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys, a move that tied the NFL all-time record for the most-traded player, set by Eric Dickerson. He battled a knee injury early in 2023 but recovered to post 54 receptions for 657 yards and eight touchdowns, including a nine-catch, 173-yard performance against the New York Giants in Week 10. In 2024, a knee issue sent him to injured reserve before Week 5, and he finished the year with 26 receptions for 259 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games.
New Orleans Saints Second Stint (2025)
On March 21, 2025, Cooks returned to the franchise that drafted him, signing a two-year, $13 million contract with the New Orleans Saints. He appeared in 10 games with three starts, recording 19 receptions for 165 yards, before being released on November 19.
Buffalo Bills (2025–Present)
On November 25, 2025, Cooks signed with the Buffalo Bills, adding veteran experience to a contending roster.
Notable Events and Milestones
Cooks is one of only two players in NFL history to record 1,000-yard receiving seasons with four different teams, and he is the first player to post 1,000 receiving yards in three consecutive seasons with three different franchises. His NFL career includes a 98-yard touchdown catch for the Saints, a Super Bowl appearance with both the Patriots and the Rams, and a 50,000-dollar donation to establish the Stockton Children’s Fund in 2020.
Brandin Cooks Career Wins
Brandin Cooks has accumulated impressive individual milestones throughout his career, including four 1,000-yard receiving seasons and the 2013 Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top college receiver.
NFL Highlights
Cooks has posted 1,000-yard receiving seasons with the New Orleans Saints (2015, 2016), New England Patriots (2017), Los Angeles Rams (2018), and Houston Texans (2020, 2021). His career high in receiving yards came in 2018 with the Rams, when he totaled 1,204 yards. He also reached Super Bowl LII with the Patriots and Super Bowl LIII with the Rams, becoming one of the few active players to appear in consecutive Super Bowls with different teams.
Other Performances
Cooks also produced a standout 2013 college season at Oregon State, leading the NCAA with 1,730 receiving yards and earning consensus All-American honors.
Brandin Cooks Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Brandin Tawan Cooks was raised in Stockton, California, by his mother, Andrea Glasper Cooks, after the death of his father, Worth Cooks Sr., when Brandin was six years old. He grew up alongside his three brothers, Fred, Worth Jr., and Andre.
Personal Life
Cooks is a Christian, and he has become widely known by the nickname “the Archer,” a bow-and-arrow celebration that references a Bible verse in which a boy named Ishmael used archery skills to survive in the desert. He married Briannon Lepman on July 7, 2018, and the couple reside together.
2025 Season Performance
Brandin Cooks’ 2025 campaign has been defined by a return to familiar surroundings. After signing a two-year, $13 million contract with the New Orleans Saints in March, he appeared in 10 games with three starts and recorded 19 receptions for 165 yards. The Saints ultimately released him on November 19, making him a free agent at a critical point in the season.
Six days later, on November 25, 2025, Cooks signed with the Buffalo Bills, joining a contender looking to bolster its receiving depth. The move reunited him with the kind of competitive environment that has marked the strongest stretches of his career, and he will look to contribute as Buffalo pushes toward the playoffs.