Houston Texans' Brandin Cooks restructures deal to give team salary-cap relief, source says

HOUSTON -- The Texans have restructured wide receiver Brandin Cooks' contract, sources confirmed to ESPN.

According to a source, the restructure voids the final season of the deal Cooks signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018, meaning he will now be a free agent after the 2022 season.

NFL Network first reported that Cooks' contract was restructured. The restructure, which frees up more than $6 million in cap space for the Texans, converts $10 million of Cooks' base salary to a signing bonus. Before the restructure, Cooks had a cap hit of $12 million in 2021 but did not have any guaranteed money left on his contract.

The restructure guarantees Cooks' salary in 2021 and adds $1 million to the contract over the next two seasons.

Cooks is coming off his fifth season with more than 1,000 receiving yards. The receiver, who is playing on his fourth team in seven seasons, had 81 catches for 1,150 yards and six touchdowns in his first season in Houston.

Along with Cooks, the Texans have 2020 fifth-round pick Isaiah Coulter and slot receivers Randall Cobb and Keke Coutee under contract.

Wide receiver Will Fullerwas playing on his fifth-year option before he was suspended in November. Houston did not use the franchise tag on Fuller, so he will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins next week.