Brandin Cooks missed the Dallas Cowboys’ last four games due to an injury that caused him to land on injured reserve (IR). What happened to the Cowboys wide receiver, and when is he expected to return? Let’s break down the latest update on Cooks’ recovery.
What Is Brandin Cooks’ Injury?
After the Cowboys’ win over the New York Giants in Week 4, Cooks stayed in New York to undergo a procedure on his right knee. Unfortunately, an infection developed in his knee, which is why he was ultimately placed on IR.
This is a unique set of circumstances and one we don’t have a ton of data to lean on. This isn’t an injury in the traditional sense — it’s an infection. Those can heal at varying rates. Plus, there’s always a risk the infection returns or gets worse when it seems to be getting better.
When Will Cooks Return From Injury?
Cooks has now missed four consecutive games, fulfilling his requirement for the minimum number of missed games on IR. That means Cooks is eligible to return for the Cowboys’ next game in Week 10 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, here’s the good news: Cooks returned to practice as a limited participant last week, which is a great sign. The updates were encouraging at the time.
Saw Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks walking on the practice field and said, I see you got those knees out.
He responded with a smile and said, “you know what that means.”
Cooks is ready to return but he has to miss four games due to being placed on injured reserve.
Two more games then… pic.twitter.com/sof4sa3FxR— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) October 24, 2024
That certainly suggests that Cooks will be able to play in Week 10 rather than stay on injured reserve beyond four games.
How Has Cooks’ Absence Impacted the Cowboys?
Cooks is now 31 years old, and even before getting hurt, he showed signs of slowing down.
Through four games, Cooks’ EPA (expected points added) per target was 0.01. By comparison, it was 0.22 back in 2021.
The Cowboys had already shown a desire to have Jalen Tolbert win the WR2 job. He was already in the process of doing that when Cooks went on IR.
Jalen Tolbert had a 25% first-read target share, tying Jake Ferguson, with CeeDee Lamb at 21.4% in Week 5.
In Weeks 1-4, Tolbert was 4th on the team at 14.2% behind Brandin Cooks (16%), Ferguson (20%), & Lamb (25.5%)
The opportunity uptick led to Tolbert averaging more… pic.twitter.com/aYqz7O5iBG
— Corbin (@corbin_young21) October 8, 2024
Upon Cooks’ return, Tolbert’s snap share would likely take a small hit. He probably won’t be around 90% like he’s been recently, but we should still expect him to play ahead of Cooks.
At 25 years old and having clearly improved over his first three seasons, Tolbert provides Dallas with much more than Cooks at this point in his career.
From a fantasy standpoint, Tolbert may not ever be a weekly starter, but he does carry WR2 upside if the Cowboys offense can get back on track.