Brandin Cooks Joins 49ers Amidst Receiver Injuries

The San Francisco 49ers have signed veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks, a move designed to address immediate depth concerns at the position. Cooks, 32, joined his sixth NFL team after a period of deliberation on his next career step.

Cooks, who grew up a 49ers fan in Stockton, California, participated in his first practice on Wednesday and could be available to play as early as Sunday. His signing comes as the 49ers have been hit hard by injuries to their receiving corps.

"He knows that we’re down guys, so he’s going to have an opportunity to get up [on the active roster] eventually," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. The team lost Ricky Pearsall during the preseason, De’Zhaun Stribling in Week 1, and Demarcus Robinson in Week 2. Additionally, Mike Evans sustained a hip issue last week that requires ongoing management.

Cooks brings significant experience and pedigree to the 49ers. He is nearing 10,000 career receiving yards and has a history of making an impact even when joining a team mid-season. In 2026, after being waived by the Saints, he signed with the Bills and contributed 10 catches for 192 yards across five regular-season and two playoff games.

"Once camp got deep, I was like, ‘OK, let the season start and kind of go from there.’ Obviously some opportunities came up," Cooks said. "And then the one that I was always hoping would come up, you know, came up. Checked all the boxes."

Shanahan expressed confidence in Cooks' ability to integrate into the team's offense. "Kyle," Cooks said when asked why he chose the 49ers, "It’s what he’s done forever — get guys open in many different ways."

Despite his extensive experience, Cooks acknowledged the need to adapt to NFL game speed. "I don’t think you can get into football shape until you play football," he stated. However, he added that he maintains a rigorous workout regimen. Running back Christian McCaffrey, who also joined the 49ers mid-season in 2022, noted that being "thrown into the fire can actually be a really good thing" for learning an offense.

While Cooks expressed optimism about being ready to play by Sunday against the Cardinals, Shanahan indicated the team would assess his progress in practice. The 49ers anticipate McCaffrey and George Kittle will be available, along with Deebo Samuel and potentially Evans, while Cooks continues to acclimate to the team's system.

"We’re down guys, so as soon as he’s ready" he'll join the active roster, Shanahan said. "He’s got to learn the offense, get used to it out there, but hopefully he can show that over this week or over the next few weeks."

Cooks' arrival fulfills a childhood aspiration of playing for the 49ers. "My dad was a Niner fan, everybody. My brothers, they’re all excited," he said. "I’m like, I gotta focus, though. Y’all can come to the games, but we ain’t gonna be hanging out all the time. It’s still football at the end of the day."