It seems illogical to say, but Brandin Cooks has been one of the most sought-after wide receivers in the NFL since he was drafted in 2014. He came into the league as a first-round pick by the Saints that year, and after three seasons in New Orleans, he was traded to the Patriots for a first-rounder.
He spent one year in New England before the Rams parted ways with a first-round pick to acquire him, promptly signing him to an $81 million extension in 2018. On Thursday, Cooks was traded for the third time in his career – this time for a second-round pick.
The Rams sent him to Houston, making the Texans his fourth team in seven seasons. For a player with four 1,000-yard seasons and 34 career touchdowns, it’s bizarre that he keeps getting traded.
It’s almost unprecedented, actually. According to NFL Research, only one player has been traded more times than Cooks in his career since 1980: Former Rams running back Eric Dickerson.
The Rams were the first team to trade Dickerson, sending him to the Colts in 1987. In 1992, he was traded by the Colts to the Raiders, who only kept him for one season. In 1993, Dickerson was traded twice: once in July to the Falcons and then again to the Packers in October.
He never played for the Packers, but Dickerson will still go down as the only player in modern history to be traded four times in his career. Just don’t rule out Cooks matching him at some point.
