On Wednesday, the New Orleans Saints made the surprising but understandable decision to release veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks. With Rashid Shaheed already absent following a recent trade, the Saints’ receiving corps is poised for a significant transformation
Saints Cut 12-Year Veteran as WR Room Reshapes
Before the trade deadline, the Saints’ WR group for the season consisted of Chris Olave at WR1, Shaheed at WR2, Cooks at WR3, and Devaughn Vele at WR4. After the deadline, New Orleans entered its game against the Carolina Panthers with a clear plan: make Vele the WR2 and get him involved. This is exactly what happened, but even more snaps were being taken away from Cooks, and he understandably was against that.
Now, after releasing Cooks, who has a 70.2 score (C-) in PFSN’s WR Impact metric, Olave and Vele have their spots secured, but WR3 and WR4 are now major question marks. This will be a position to watch in the offseason, but for now, the Saints need to fill those gaps, and it appears they have started that process.
The #Saints have signed WR Kevin Austin Jr. from the practice squad to the active roster, signed WR Jha’Quan Jackson to the practice squad, and waived WR Brandin Cooks. pic.twitter.com/QW75kvIZ59
— Tina Howell (@TinaHowellNOLA) November 19, 2025
During the preseason, Kevin Austin Jr. saw consistent snaps and looked like a potential contested-catch option. Still, it wasn’t enough to secure his roster spot, but now he could have a real chance. Jha’Quan Jackson will be returning to his home state of Louisiana and coming from Tulane. He is a fun young option who could see some playing time.
Who Can Step Up for Sunday’s Game
For that WR3 spot, Mason Tipton is a name to watch. For two straight training camps since being signed by the Saints as a UDFA, Tipton has been an exciting player. After being thrust into a much bigger role far too early last season, the hype around him plummeted, but he was a player who simply needed more development.
This opportunity is now Tipton’s chance to bounce back from his rookie-season struggles and show why he can compete for that spot moving forward.
