NFL Rumors: How Texans Punished Brandin Cooks For Trade Deadline Antics

Brandin Cooks still is a Texans wide receiver, but he reportedly is no longer a Houston team captain.

Cooks was one of the five players named captain by the Texans before the start of the 2022 NFL season, but according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport, the veteran wide receiver recently lost that title due to his actions following the trade deadline.

“The Texans have revoked the veteran wide receiver’s captaincy in response to his public and private criticism of the team after they didn’t deal him at the trade deadline, sources said in recent days,” the NFL insiders wrote in a column published Sunday morning.

Cooks took to Twitter shortly after the Nov. 1 deadline passed, accusing the Texans of “playing with my career” in a strongly worded post. The 29-year-old evidently was looking to be moved to a contender, but his $18 million in fully guaranteed money for next season made it difficult for Houston to find a trade partner. Texans head coach Lovie Smith reportedly was “particularly upset” with how Cooks handled himself after he wasn’t traded.

The 2014 first-round pick, who signed a two-year contract extension with Houston back in April, did not play in the Texans’ Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at NRG Stadium. Cooks is expected to be available Sunday when Houston visits the 6-2 New York Giants, but he will not be sporting a “C” on his jersey.