Brandin Cooks activated by Cowboys, set for Thanksgiving return vs. Giants

On By Littum

FRISCO, Texas – The last time Brandin Cooks took the field for the Dallas Cowboys, it was Week 4 and they handed the New York Giants a 20-15 loss. That makes the following news quite apropos, with the Dallas Cowboys officially activating the veteran wide receiver from injured reserve — setting up a return against, guess who, the New York Giants.

So yes, your kitchen won’t be the only one with chefs this Thanksgiving.

To make room for Cooks on the active 53-man roster, Caelen Carson has been moved to injured reserve with a shoulder injury that has plagued him for weeks now and cost him several games, including the Week 11 game against the Washington Commanders.

That means, barring Trevon Diggs taking the field, which is unexpected due to a groin and knee injury he’s working through, it will be Josh Butler who once again gets the start opposite DaRon Bland.

As far as Cooks is concerned, the name of the game is to remove as much rust as possible and quickly.

Able to get off to a hot start to the 2024 season with a touchdown catch from Dak Prescott in the Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns, Cooks went quiet for the next three games before being moved to injured reserve due to infection in his knee that appeared after external treatment.

He has since gone two months without playing in a game.

In that time, the Cowboys have traded to acquire Jonathan Mingo, and KaVontae Turpin is showing what he can do offensively, creating an interesting dynamic alongside Cooks’ return in terms of targets alongside CeeDee Lamb. And then there is the factor at quarterback, as Prescott is on season-ending injured reserve with a partially torn hamstring.

This time it’s Cooper Rush throwing to Cooks, the two having little to no work with each other in regular season games; as Rush’s previous stint as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback took place in 2022 before Cooks went to Dallas.

The sooner the two can get on the same page, the better, as the Cowboys sit at 4-7 on the season and enter their second game in just four days with a chance to move to 5-7 and, most importantly, to finally putting an end to their losing streak at home.

Bottom line: Cooks hopes to provide some good food with all the trimmings.