HOUSTON — The Houston Texans extended Brandin Cooks through 2024 with a two-year deal worth $39.6 million, with $36.0 million fully guaranteed.
Cooks’ on-field production played a significant role in his payday. The veteran wide receiver has been Houston’s No. 1 option in the passing game by recording 2,187 yards on 171 catches and a dozen touchdowns since 2020.
Retaining Cooks kept one of the most productive players in Houston for an extended amount of time. But his leadership qualities make Cooks’ extension more vital.
The Texans are targeting several wideouts during the 2022 NFL Draft, and Cooks’ leadership could play a monumental role in helping prospects reach their potential in the league.
“The most important thing for any player coming into the league is to latch on to a veteran,” Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice said during Tuesday’s installment of Locked On Texans. “Watch how the veterans prepare. Watch how they get ready for a football game. And watch how they conduct themselves away from the game — that’s very important.
“Every day was important to me. And it’s one of the reasons I played the game for 20 years. Surround yourself with the right people and then go to work.”
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Rice attached himself to several veterans on the San Francisco 49ers as a rookie in 1985. Hall of Famers Ronnie Lott and Joe Montana are a few vets on the team that guided Rice to an illustrious career that featured 10 First-team All-Pro honors and a trio of Super Bowl titles.
The stewardship of veteran wide receiver Dwight Clark left an influential impact on Rice’s career.
Rice credited Clark as the veteran at his position who helped him become the greatest receiver in league history. Rice paid the lessons forward a near-decade later in San Francisco with the arrival of Terrell Owens. Owens became a Hall of Famer in his own right.
“Once you get to the NFL, it’s a whole different level,” Rice said. “You have to be able to perform on the field and be productive — but some responsibilities come along with that. How you conduct yourself as a professional athlete is important. When you have veterans like Montana who have won Super Bowls, those are the guys you want to attach yourself to and try to emulate.”
General manager Nick Caserio had an in-depth understanding of Cooks’ importance both on and off the field before his extension. With the Texans entering phase two of the rebuild, Cooks’ locker room presence impacted rookies Nico Collins, Brevin Jordan and Davis Mills during the 2021 campaign.
The American Red Cross is working with Rice in April to encourage potential blood donors to consider giving blood for the first time. The Red Cross has experienced a 10 percent decline in donating blood since the beginning of the pandemic.
Beginning on April 19, all donors will enter a sweepstake for a chance to win a high-value exclusive giveaway package sponsored by Suburban Propane. Please visit www.redcrossblood.org/impact for more.
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