Houston Texans Wide Receiver Returns to Practice

The Houston Texans may have their leading receiver back on the field in Week 15. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks returned to practice on Thursday, raising the possibility he may play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Brandin Cooks is back practicing and looks a lot healthier. A good sign for the Texans. pic.twitter.com/5SI6Jp11jP
— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) December 15, 2022

Cooks has missed the past two games with a calf injury sustained in the Texans' Week 12 30-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins, and reports recently indicated he was expected to miss Week 15 as well. He leads the team this year with 520 receiving yards on 44 receptions.

Should Cooks play, he should improve the Texans' chances of losing with dignity against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are colossal 14-point favorites to crush the Texans on the road, but Cooks will at least provide a valuable target to whichever quarterback the Texans put on the field.

Cooks came to the Texans via trade with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. The Texans sent the Rams a 2020 second-round pick in exchange for Cooks and a 2022 fourth-round pick. He has demonstrated himself to be an explosive and reliable starting wide receiver, logging 1000-yard seasons with four different teams and five different starting quarterbacks. Despite his consistency, he has fallen just short of stardom in the league; he has yet to make a Pro Bowl in his nine-year career.