It'll be a shame if the last thing veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks is remembered for in a San Francisco 49ers uniform is the false start late in the 29-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, a gaffe that led to quarterback Brock Purdy's second interception of the day a play later.
Based on the full context, Cooks' days in a Niners uniform may be numbered.
San Francisco hits its bye in Week 8, and it's poised to get back several of the injured wide receivers it desperately missed in Atlanta. Mike Evans (Achilles) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) are the likeliest of the bunch to come back in Week 9 versus the Las Vegas Raiders, while the other two who are dealing with ankle injuries, De'Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson, will be that much closer to returning, too.
Simply put, there won't be much room for Cooks to hang around.
49ers WR depth chart will soon be too crowded for Brandin Cooks
The 33-year-old Cooks joined the 49ers practice squad in late September amid the growing list of injuries, and he was subsequently promoted to the active roster the following month. That coincided with both Stribling and Robinson missing time, and the injuries to both Evans and Samuel made Cooks' presence that much more important.
However, with relatively little impact beyond a key touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, Cooks' future in the Bay Area looks grim.
To date, the 33-year-old pro has three receptions for 33 yards and the score over four games played. And with the Niners seemingly favoring more opportunities to younger receivers like Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins, both of whom had more targets and catches than Cooks against Atlanta, it's hard to see a scenario where the latter hangs around.
Ideally, San Francisco's receiving depth chart would look something like this soon:
- Mike Evans
- Deebo Samuel
- Demarcus Robinson
- De'Zhaun Stribling
- Jordan Watkins
- Jacob Cowing
That would equate to Cooks being shown the door, although there'd always be room for a return to the practice squad.
The 49ers have two weeks to figure that out, though, and it'll hinge almost entirely upon how healthy Evans, Samuel, Robinson and Stribling are coming out of the bye week.
If they're all good to go in time for Week 9, Cooks' time with the Niners may be over.
Add us as a preferred source on Google