Drew Brees and Brian Schottenheimer go way back — before Brees became the legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback and Schottenheimer was tabbed to become the Dallas Cowboys’ missing piece from Super Bowl contention, Schottenheimer was Brees’ quarterbacks coach on the then-San Diego Chargers.
Obviously a lot has changed over the decades since. Brees is happily retired and waiting on his well-earned selection for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Schottenheimer is getting the Cowboys passing game up to speed as their new offensive coordinator. One major addition in Dallas he’s working with this summer is former Saints first-round draft pick Brandin Cooks.
Per the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken, Brees sent was the first person to respond to the news of Cooks’ arrival — he sent a text message to Schottenheimer saying, “You are going to love this guy.”
Brees certainly did. Cooks posted back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons with the Saints in 2015 and 2016, and averaged a smooth 5.1 receptions for 68.1 yards per game through his three-year career in New Orleans. He’s since moved around the NFL often after relations frayed with the highly-drafted receiver and the Saints coaching staff over his role on offense, and he’s arrived in Dallas after spending time with the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, and Houston Texans. He’s put up at least 1,000 yards in six of his nine years in the league.
But the Saints won’t see Cooks again until 2024, barring a meeting in the playoffs. Dallas and New Orleans are not scheduled to play each other this season and it remains to be seen if Cooks will play out his Cowboys contract, which carries a $10 million salary cap hit in 2024. With that said, it’s really tough to see him not returning next year — if he meets expectations in the fall, that’s an easy price to pay for a playmaking wide receiver.
