Brandin Cooks never looked like the answer to the 49ers’ receiver problems, but here he is, suddenly staring at a much bigger role.
With Mike Evans aggravating his Achilles injury in San Francisco’s Week 6 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football, the 49ers’ wideout situation got even thinner. That leaves Cooks and a handful of other fringe options looking far more important than anyone would have guessed when the season began.
Unless San Francisco gets aggressive in the trade market - and there are signs that won’t happen - the team may have to lean on Cooks in a way it never planned to.
The 33-year-old has been around long enough to know how quickly these things can change. He’s well past his peak, more journeyman than centerpiece at this stage, and he didn’t even join the 49ers until late September, when he signed to the practice squad. But circumstances are pushing him toward a leading role anyway, especially with the team set to face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7 and other injured receivers potentially unavailable until after the bye the following week.
As strange as it sounds, Cooks is now the one healthy receiver on the roster who brings any real name recognition. That comes from his status as a 2014 first-round pick and a résumé that includes six 1,000-yard seasons. The last one came in 2021 with the Houston Texans.
None of that changes the fact that this is not the kind of WR1 setup the 49ers wanted. Cooks has appeared in all three games since joining the team, mostly as a route-runner meant to help lighten the load for the more productive pass catchers around him. He has logged 64 offensive snaps, but the production has been modest: two catches on five targets for 20 yards and a touchdown.
And if the second half of Week 6 after Evans went down is any sign, asking Cooks to carry the passing game would be a problem, especially on a short week with Brock Purdy at quarterback.
Still, there is at least one silver lining for San Francisco. Evans’ injury could mean more practice time for Cooks to build timing with Purdy, which might help their connection if he has to keep taking on a larger share of the offense. Even now, Cooks still brings something the 49ers can use - speed and route-running ability that remain above average, even at this stage of his career.
In Other News...
Commanders Fans Had Plenty To Say About One Pregame Performance
Before kickoff at Levis Stadium on Monday night, Train vocalist Pat Monahan handled the national anthem before the Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers met under the prime-time lights. The matchup itself carried plenty of weight, with both teams coming in at 3-4, but the pregame moment quickly became a talking point for reasons unrelated to the standings.
Monahans rendition drew significant negative reaction on social media, where fans wasted little time weighing in on the performance. For a game that already had plenty at stake for both sides, the anthem became an unexpected early flashpoint and added another layer of chatter before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Are Undefeated But This Start Is Not Making Them Comfortable
The 49ers are rolling through the early part of the season with six straight wins, a perfect record and the top spot in the NFC, but the mood around the building has stayed measured. San Francisco is also 3-0 in the NFC West after taking care of the Seahawks and Rams, the kind of division start that usually makes a team feel comfortably ahead of the pack.
Kyle Shanahan, Trent Williams and Fred Warner have all spoken about the way the team is approaching the run, and the tone has been more about focus than celebration. Even with the results piling up, there is a clear sense that this start has not fully eased the concerns inside the locker room, especially with the long season still ahead and the margins in recent games still feeling tighter than the record suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Ex-49ers Depth Piece Suddenly Became A Much Bigger NFL Story
Jordan Elliotts stint with the Titans ended almost as quickly as it began, and the reason has turned him into a much bigger league-wide story than the former 49ers depth piece usually draws. Tennessee released him after an incident at the team facility involving a firearm in his car, and the Titans made clear the move came after a violation of NFL rules on possessing a gun on team property.
The situation only became more notable when Robert Saleh addressed it, calling it a lapse in judgment while still voicing support for Elliott. Saleh also nudged other teams to take a hard look at him, which leaves the attention less on the dismissal itself and more on whether another locker room is willing to give him a second chance after such a messy episode. [Read more 🡒]