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Cowboys Get More Disappointing News as Key Player Bolts

The Dallas Cowboys lost longtime backup quarterback Cooper Rush to the Baltimore Ravens earlier this week, with the official announcement dropping on Tuesday, March 18. While losing a backup quarterback might not seem like a big deal, Rush was an integral part of the Cowboys’ chemistry, and losing him hurts.

Now, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are bracing to lose another longtime player, and this one was tight with star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.

Another Dallas Cowboys Player Sets Sail: Report

On Friday, March 21, NFL insider and expert Mike Garafolo took to X to report that Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks is heading back to New Orleans.

“A reunion in New Orleans: 11-year veteran WR Brandin Cooks is headed back to the #Saints, sources tell The Insiders,” he said. “Cooks returns to the franchise that drafted him in the first round in 2014.”

This one is rough, especially since Cooks had a great thing going with Lamb. But, the move isn’t unexpected.

As RJ Ochoa from Blogging the Boys explains in a Friday, March 21 feature, Lamb has emerged “as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers,” and he’s gotten to this superstar status with “Cooks as the Robin to his Batman.”

“While being one of the best wideouts in the league obviously says how good you are, every team needs a number of options to work in the passing game,” Ochoa added. “The Cowboys traded for Cooks two years ago and he was a legitimate threat in 2023, but this past season was broken for the team in a number of ways.”

He continued that it “felt doubtful that he would return to Dallas and now we officially know that he won’t. He is returning to somewhere, but it is to the New Orleans Saints, with new head coach Kellen Moore.”

Back in New Orleans

It’s really full circle for Cooks, who, as previously mentioned, was first drafted by New Orleans in 2014. Since then, he has played with several NFL teams, his latest, of course, being the Cowboys from 2023 to 2024. He had an exceptionally stellar season in 2023, appearing in 16 games and snagging 54 receptions for 657 yards and eight touchdowns. For the 2024 season, Cooks appeared in 10 games and had 26 receptions for 259 yards with three scores.

So, the Cowboys will have to figure out who can step it up and be a compliment to Lamb going forward. They drafted Jonathan Mingo during the 2024 draft, so he’s an option, but time will tell.

Dallas also signed veteran wide receiver Parris Campbell, who was most recently with the Eagles, in free agency on Saturday, March 16.

Campbell, 27, is a bona fide Super Bowl LIX championship, following his win with the Philadelphia Eagles. During the 2024 season, he appeared in five games and caught six passes for 30 yards and a touchdown. He spent his first four years in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts.

“By joining the Cowboys, Campbell will play for his fourth team in the last four season and his third team from the NFC East, as he spent the 2023 season with the New York Giants before heading to Philadelphia in 2024,” the Dallas Cowboys stated in their announcement.

Anne Erickson Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter covering the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson