HOUSTON – The Texans restructured veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks’ contract, converting $831,11 of his $2 million base salary into a signing bonus to create $554,000 in immediate salary cap savings, according to a league source.
The Texans previously restructured deals for kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, punter Cameron Johnston and nickel back Desmond King.
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Cooks’ base salary is now $1.12 million after playing one game at the $2 million rate.
He signed a two-year, $39 million contract extension in April that included $36 million guaranteed and a maximum annual value of nearly $19.8 million, rewarding him as one of the top wide receivers in the league.
That included a $16 million signing bonus.
A former 20th overall selection of the New Orleans Saints, Cooks was originally acquired in a trade form the Los Angeles Rams.
He was previously traded from the Saints to the New England Patriots in 2017 along with a fourth-round pick in exchange for a first-round draft pick and a third-round draft pick. Then, the Patriots sent Cooks to the Rams with a fourth-round draft pick for a first-round draft pick and a sixth-round draft pick.
Cooks is one of the Texans’ most accomplished and reliable players. Cooks caught a team-high 90 passes for 1,037 yards and six touchdowns last season. He recorded 171 receptions for 2,187 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first two seasons since the Texans acquired him from the Rams. Cooks has caught 584 career passes for 8,053 yards and 46 touchdowns.
He has 11 receptions for 136 yards this season for the 0-0-1 Texans.
A year ago, the Texans restructured Cooks’ five-year, $81 million contract, creating $7 million in salary cap space by paying him a $10 million signing bonus and adding voidable years to the deal.
Aaron Wilson is a Pro Football Network reporter and a contributor to KPRC 2 and click2houston.com