Brandin Cooks has already won over his head coach and star running back after joining the San Francisco 49ers this week.
Speaking to reporters after the signing, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made clear how long he's admired Cooks' game.
"Just awesome to get a veteran receiver here who's — I mean, Brandon, I've been a fan of him for the last 10 years," Shanahan said. "He's had a hell of a career, been a hell of a player, and, you know, we're down on guys, so it's awesome to get a guy in here who's done it before and done it for a long time."
Cooks arrives with plenty to back that up. He's caught 734 passes for 9,811 yards and 60 touchdowns across 12 NFL seasons with New Orleans, New England, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, and Buffalo. Production
has dipped the past two seasons as he's gotten older, though: He has just 24 catches for 279 yards and no touchdowns in 2025 after spending the season with the Saints and the Bills. But, the traits that made him one of the league's premier deep threats haven't gone unnoticed by his new teammates.
49ers running back Christian McCaffrey pointed to Cooks' speed as the trait that stands out most, and what it could mean paired with San Francisco's scheme.
"Lotta speed, lotta speed," McCaffrey said. "Anytime you bring a veteran like that into a system, mentally you can tell they know how to play the game at a high level, and when you match that with speed in this offense it can be a serious problem."
“Lotta speed, lotta speed….anytime you bring a veteran like that into a system, mentally you can tell they know how to play the game at a high level, and when you match that with speed in this offense it can be a serious problem.”
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) September 23, 2026
- CMC on new 49ers veteran WR Brandin Cooks pic.twitter.com/JJtxpARbur
The timing lines up with a 49ers receiver room that's been hit hard by injuries. Ricky Pearsall is done for the season after PCL surgery, De'Zhaun Stribling is out for a while, Demarcus Robinson is banged up, Christian Kirk has missed time with a calf strain, and Mike Evans continues to deal with recurring soft-tissue issues that limited him to eight games last year. That's left Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins as the healthiest options for Brock Purdy heading into the back half of September.
Shanahan was careful not to promise Cooks an immediate role, noting he'll need time to learn the offense before he's ready to be active on game day. But with both his coach and his new quarterback's top running back publicly excited about the addition, Cooks looks like a veteran San Francisco is eager to get up to speed as quickly as possible.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers head coach, offensive star explain what new WR brings to SF
