The New Orleans Saints have been surprisingly active in free agency this season. One move was to bring back a former fan-favorite wide receiver.
Former Saints first round draft pick Brandin Cooks signed a two-year, $13 million deal with New Orleans. This will be his first time with the team since he was traded away to the New England Patriots in 2017.
He had a fast start to his career and spent a few years as one of the top weapons in the league. In recent seasons, he has been more of a veteran depth piece. That will likely be the same role he has with the Saints, as he is the best option behind the bona fide starters in Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
These are the details of the contract, as shared by the experts over at OverThe Cap: Cooks' prorated salary bonus will be $1,600,000 for both seasons plus a void year. For the first two years, there will be a per game roster bonus that will add up to $500,000 per season if he makes it the entire length of the contract.
2025 salary cap hit
In a common New Orleans contract move, he will have a much smaller salary for this season and it will be backloaded into next season.
He has a base salary of just $1,260,000 in 2025. Adding in the signing and roster bonuses, his cap hit will be $3,154,118.
2026 salary cap hit
His base salary will jump up to $5,940,000 with the same prorated signing bonus. Overall, his cap hit will be $8,040,000.
Given that just $1,690,000 of his contract is guaranteed for this year, New Orleans could have an out this year if things go poorly.
2027 void year
There is just a single void year on the deal, where the Saints will be on the hook for his $1,600,000 prorated signing bonus.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: What does Saints' two-year contract with WR Brandin Cooks look like?
