Carrying a 3-7 record and with Dak Prescott out for the season, the Dallas Cowboys are playing for pride entering Week 12. At the least the Cowboys will have a silver lining in the wide receiver department.
Dallas designated Cooks to return to practice on Wednesday, via team reporter Patrik Walker. He was joined by defensive end Marshon Kneeland.
Cooks has been out since Week 4 after developing an infection in his knee. Before going down with his injury, the wide receiver had caught nine passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. However, he was expected to be a major part of the offense after his 2023 outburst. Cooks’ debut in Dallas saw him catch 54 passes for 657 yards and eight touchdowns.
But when Cooks steps on the field, he’ll be entering a much different Cowboys’ offense. In the wake of Prescott’s injury, Cooper Rush has been asked to step up. He hasn’t been up to the task as the season has slowly fallen away.
Rush threw for a career-high 354 yards against the Houston Texans, adding a touchdown and an interception. However, he fumbled twice, seeing one run back for a touchdown. Furthermore, he had just 45 passing yards a week prior against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brandin Cooks is set to be a free agent after the season. He can use the end of his 2024 campaign as an audition for interested teams. He had a good one-year run with the Cowboys, but it’s unclear if they’ll pursue a reunion.
For now, Cooks and the Cowboys are focused on the Washington Commanders. Even if they aren’t in the hunt, the Commanders are a heated NFC East rival. With Cooks back in the fold, Dallas will attempt to see as much success as they can before making some major offseason changes.
Whether that includes the departure of Cooks is yet to be seen.
