Texans' Brandin Cooks Says He's 'Frustrated' After Not Being Dealt at Trade Deadline

Houston Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks wanted to be traded before the NFL's Nov. 1 deadline, but that did not happen, leading to him sitting against the Philadelphia Eagles for "personal reasons."

He's back with the team now and slated to play Sunday versus the New York Giants, but he opened up to reporters Thursday.

"For me personally, I just at the end of the day want to win and compete now," Cooks said, per DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. "That's been my thought process."

The 1-6-1 Texans sport the league's worst record and appear destined for a top (or the top) pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Cooks has been moderately productive with 32 catches for 354 yards and a touchdown in seven games, and he can certainly help a contender. However, the Texans reportedly had trouble finding a trade partner because of his $18 million guaranteed salary in 2023.

On Thursday, Cooks expressed his past frustrations, emphasizing his desire to be competitive.

"I was frustrated, absolutely. I want to win, that's not the case," Cooks said.

"That's what's going on. That's the way I expressed my emotion. I think we all want to win. We're all frustrated in some sense. ... That's some of it, but like I said, as far as going into depth, I'm going to keep that internal."

Cooks is in his ninth NFL season and third with the Texans.

Although Cooks wanted to move on, he's prepared to give it his all for his teammates as they enter the latter half of the season:

Rookie running back and emerging star Dameon Pierce backed that sentiment when speaking with reporters:

Cooks was limited in practice Thursday (wrist), but it appears he'll be on the field come game day, per offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton:

Kickoff against the Giants is set for 1 p.m. ET Sunday at MetLife Stadium.