49ers sign veteran WR Brandin Cooks to practice squad amid injury wave
San Francisco adds the 32-year-old receiver to get him game-ready as Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall and others battle injuries.
What to know
- Cooks needs just 189 receiving yards to reach 10,000 for his career, entering his 13th NFL season.
- The signing comes as San Francisco has lost Ricky Pearsall, De'Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson to injury and is managing Mike Evans' hip issue during a 2-0 start.
- Cooks was waived by the Saints in November after requesting release and finished 2025 with the Bills, including a disputed overturned catch in Buffalo's divisional-round exit.
Brandin Cooks Free-agent wide receiver
Adam Schefter ESPN NFL insiderMike Evans 49ers wide receiver
Kyle Shanahan 49ers head coach
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts
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Schefter reports Cooks signing with 49ers practice squad
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that free agent Brandin Cooks is signing with the 49ers' practice squad, initially to get up to speed before joining the active roster.
“Source: free-agent WR Brandin Cooks is signing with the 49ers practice squad, initially to get up to speed for games. It is year 13 for the former first-round pick from Oregon State who now is 189 yards short of 10,000 receiving yards for his NFL career.”
— @AdamSchefter -
4 outlets first by Yahoo Sports, 1d ago · also Mercury News, ESPN, ESPN NFL · read ↗
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3 outlets first by Yahoo Sports, 1d ago · also Sports Illustrated, NY Post · read ↗
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Source: free-agent WR Brandin Cooks is signing with the 49ers practice squad, initially to get up to speed for games. It is year 13 for the former first-round pick from Oregon State who now is 189 yards short of 10,000 receiving yards for his NFL career.
2 more of the top 3 · 5 posts in this stretch
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Did not realize he played on back to back Super Bowl losing teams in the pats and then rams in the prime of his career. Oof. I felt like he was always just a menace on any 3rd and long situation, and even now if he’s deep on the depth chart there will be a game where converts like a 3rd and 20 for a deep touchdown that makes the opposing defense…
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Honestly in that own it makes him stand out more career long wise. Carved out his own niche career. He blends in going team to team but makes it all the more impressive he’s been able to continue to be serviceable this late in his career.
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background
Reporting details Cooks' recent career turbulence — ESPN detailed that Cooks was waived by the Saints in November after requesting his release, finished 2025 with the Bills, and was part of a disputed overturned-catch call in Buffalo's divisional-round loss to Denver.
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background
49ers' receiver room depleted by injuries during 2-0 start — San Francisco has lost Ricky Pearsall to season-ending offseason surgery and Demarcus Robinson and De'Zhaun Stribling to injury during a Week 2 win over Miami, while Mike Evans deals with a hip injury.
Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by Yahoo Sports, 1d ago · also Sports Illustrated
1 more headline
- Former Oregon State WR Brandin Cooks Signs with San Francisco 49ers Sports Illustrated · 1d ago
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first by Yahoo Sports, 1d ago · also Sporting News
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first by Yahoo Sports, 1d ago
1 more headline
- Brandin Cooks reportedly lands with seventh NFL team amid 49ers’ receiver injuries Yahoo Sports · 16h ago
and 7 smaller pieces
What people are saying 2 voices from 1 site · best of 5 · verbatim
- Sep 22
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At this point they're about the same value wise. Robinson just fits the system better
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So like, did you go and look that up for a come back post or did you have it on top of dome?