At 33, Cooks is well aware that he is running out of opportunities to win the Lombardi Trophy. He has come agonizingly close in the past, leaving what ended up being a high-flying, explosive Super Bowl LII because of a concussion he suffered in the second quarter against the New England Patriots. A year later, he returned to the big stage as a member of the Los Angeles Rams and lost – to the Patriots.
His latest banter with the football gods put him at the center of heartbreak when Josh Allen’s soaring pass landed in the hands of Cooks, where he appeared to make the reception that would have set the Bills up for a game-winning field goal in overtime. By the time Cooks finished rolling over, the ball was in Ja’Quan McMillian’s arms, an interception that ended Buffalo’s overtime drive and gave the Broncos a chance to go ahead.
Denver did it. Another season in Buffalo ended without a ring.
Cooks isn’t shy about his desire to return to the Bills, though, because he saw a situation where he knew he was needed when he joined them late in the 2025 season. This attitude was evident when Allen selected Cooks as his target on the fateful play that ended Buffalo’s season.
“I chose Buffalo because of my belief in Josh Allen,” Cooks said. “From a distance, you could hear what was going on inside the front room. In my mind, ‘OK, it was an opportunity where you got guys who can play, but also there’s a niche in there where, if I can come in and do what I need to do, I’m contributing.’ That was it, but who wouldn’t want to play with Josh Allen?”
Since then, the Bills have added veteran DJ Moore and spent a fourth-rounder on Skyler Bell, restocking the cap room with two new picks while leaving room to entertain Cooks again.
The veterans report to camp before July 28, leaving Cooks with less than three weeks to decide where he could play in 2026. Cooks has drawn interest from a handful of enticing teams, his agent told The Athletic.
We’ll see if Cooks decides to wear yet another new uniform — his seventh of his NFL career — or if the lure of unfinished business wins out.