FRISCO, Texas — Brandin Cooks has been patiently waiting to return to the field for the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran wide receiver has been on injured reserve for the majority of the 2024 season, sidelined since Week 4 due to an infection in his knee, unable to do anything on the field to try and help avoid the current 3-7 record.
His practice window was opened on Wednesday, however, giving the Cowboys a total of 21 days to determine if he'll be moved back to the active roster or if he'll revert to season-ending injured reserve.
The latter seems extremely unlikely, seeing as Cooks is champing at the bit to play and, physically, is on track to do it possibly as early as this weekend against the Washington Commanders.
"Feels great," he said of his knee, stiff-arming any notion he'd have to contend with rust. "My mindset is to go out there as if I ain't lose a step. I've been putting in the work with the training staff, strength coaches, and so that's my mindset going into it.
"Let's go."
He'll have to first be medically cleared, and the fact the Cowboys have a short turnaround to play four days later against the New York Giants, the timing will be a part of the overall decision made by Dallas' staff.
The upcoming schedule is not a deterrent for Cooks, though.
"When you've been doing it for so long. It's all a part of the game now, so it's one of those things," he said. "The way I view Thursday games is [the same as] Thursday practice. We practice so hard on Thursday, we try to mimic a game day, so that's where I put my mind to."
It's been a rough go for the multi-time 1,000-yard receiver and not simply as he recovered from the infection, but also in seeing the tailspin that occurred on the field.
"Yeah, I was definitely frustrated but, you know, it's life and things happen," he explained. "But it's more frustrating when you see your team not winning. I think that that's the thing. When you go out there and win, it's one thing, but when we lose, and like how we've been [doing], it makes things a little harder and makes you when you get back and fast as you can to help as much as you can."
Cooks is looking to bring an aura back to the offense with seven games remaining.
"I hope I can bring a spark and not just on the field, but just some of that energy out there on Sundays," he said. "That's my mindset — to just get guys playing at a high level, playing fast, playing free, and having a great time out there. I think that's what I'm not seeing right now.
"I think we can go out there and be more joyful in our process, for sure."
And for anyone who might mistake his use of the word "joyful" in a season that, to this point, has been anything but for the Cowboys, Cooks added clarity by identifying joy as the first step in overcoming any level of adversity.
"Yeah, I think it can be difficult, but I think joyful it is about, no matter what the circumstance is, you find a way to go out there and enjoy the process," said Cooks. "It is what it is. We're at where we're at right now, but let's test ourselves as men, let's test what we're about and the work that we put in throughout the off season and training camp.
"It's not time to fold now. It's time to step up with our backs against the wall and go show what you're about as a man."
With a less than one percent chance of making the playoffs, the remainder of this season is about exactly what Cooks is hinting at:
Integrity, pride and remembering the job is supposed to be fun.
