The New Orleans Saints have made a surprising cut to their offense, as the team has announced they are parting ways with a receiver who has multiple 1,000-yard seasons.
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Everyone expected the Saints to be big sellers at the trade deadline, but only two notable players were traded ahead of the November deadline. Offensive lineman Trevor Penning was sent to the Los Angeles Chargers, and star receiver Rashid Shaheed was sent to the Seattle Seahawks.
The organization clearly needs a reset, as they sit at 2-8, and it might have been a bit better to have a full-on fire sale. Regardless of only trading two players, the Saints have now made a surprising cut.
Per multiple reports, the Saints and Brandin Cooks have mutually agreed to part ways. The six-time 1,000+ yard receiver will now be eligible to sign with a new team on Thursday afternoon, as soon as he hits waivers.
It is not shocking that the Saints have allowed Cooks to leave, as he has only 165 yards so far this season. Clearly, his utilization has taken a major hit in 2025 and the seasons before.
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Cooks’ last 1,000-yard season was in 2021 as a member of the Houston Texans. After rejoining the Saints in 2025, he has not been a huge impact player on offense.
The Saints could still be planning a reset in 2026, and that may include parting ways with new head coach Kellen Moore. In Moore’s defense, this is his first crack at being a head coach, but the results on the field have not been the best.
With the team struggling, Spencer Rattler remained behind center until rookie Tyler Shough was finally given the chance to see what he could do in Week 9. So far, Sough has thrown 586 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Many called for Shough to come in earlier, but that was not the case. The Saints have many roster holes, and getting rid of Cooks also adds to the dwindling receiver corps.
New Orleans will end up with a high first-round draft pick in 2026, and that might be used to start rebuilding the offense to help Shough.
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