Ex-Saints WR Linked To Steelers After Shocking Release
The New Orleans Saints are one of the worst teams in the league this season and they took a few steps toward their rebuild at the trade deadline.
This week, they took another step toward that rebuild. The Saints opted to cut ties with veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks in an attempt to save a bit of money. Cooks is able to sign a deal with any team in the league at this point.
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Bleacher Report's Adam Wells recently suggested the Pittsburgh Steelers could be a potential fit for Cooks in free agency for the rest of the season. The Steelers notably whiffed on other top wide receivers at the trade deadline.
Sep 7, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) is tackled by the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
"After being mentioned as a potential trade candidate earlier this month, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks will be able to pick his next destination for the remainder of the season," Wells wrote. "For teams seeking help at wide receiver for the stretch run, Cooks immediately becomes a viable option as soon as he hits the free-agent market. Some of the playoff contenders with an obvious need at wideout include the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers.
"The Steelers were all over the receiver market prior to the Nov. 4 deadline, but were unable to make a deal. They reportedly made offers to the Saints for Shaheed and Las Vegas Raiders for Jakobi Meyers that were both turned down. DK Metcalf has been exactly what Pittsburgh wanted when he was acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason. No other pass-catcher on the Steelers has more than 300 receiving yards entering Week 12."
The Steelers need one more wide receiver for the stretch run of the season. They would have been a perfect fit for Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline, but they whiffed on him.
Now, adding Cooks would be the perfect fit. He's not going to be a superstar if he signs with the Steelers, but he would fill a valuable role in the team's offense.
The move would be affordable and easy to make. There's very low risk to it, but potentially a decent amount of reward if he plays well.
Jared Goff breaks down what went wrong for Lions during SNF loss to Eagles
The Detroit Lions went from dropping 44 points against the Washington Commanders in Week 10 to scoring just nine points on Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles dominated Jared Goff and Co. with a brilliant game plan that shut down the star quarterback.
The Lions dropped to 6-4 and lost the No. 1 spot in the NFC North standings. They failed another test after losing to the Green Bay Packers (27-13 in Week 1), the Kansas City Chiefs (30-17 in Week 6) and now the Eagles.
During a Tuesday conversation with 97.1 The Ticket, Goff reflected on his team’s shortcomings against the Eagles. He admitted they failed to make plays when it mattered the most.
“Just not good enough,” Goff said. “Offensively, just finding ways to finish drives. I do think we moved the ball pretty well at times up and down the field. We had quite a bit of yards; just didn’t do well on critical downs, third and fourth down and converting in the red zone. That typically gets you beat.”
Goff added that the Eagles did a solid job stopping the Lions, but ultimately put the blame on himself for not putting his teammates in positions to score.
“I don’t wanna take anything away from them. They’re a damn good team and good defense and did a good job. It was mostly us shooting ourselves in the foot. I got to play better and put the ball where it needs to be and other guys on offense know they need to do better, too.”
Goff didn’t have the best night, finishing 14 of 37 for 255 yards and one touchdown. The Eagles intercepted him once and sacked him twice. Detroit has alternated terrific performances with nights where they look like the team that couldn’t beat anybody several years ago.
They will clash against the New York Giants in Week 12, before entering the final stretch of the season. From Week 13 through Week 18, the Lions will clash against the Packers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Rams, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears, respectively, to try to finish the campaign on a strong note.
