The Texans negotiated two of their most significant deals of the offseason this month.
They signed wide receiver Brandin Cooks to a two-year, $39.764 million extension and cornerback Steven Nelson to a two-year, $10 million contract.
Cooks' deal includes $36 million guaranteed with a $16 million signing bonus. He's due base salaries of $2 million (guaranteed), $18 million (guaranteed) and $13 million (nonguaranteed). Cooks, 28, has an annual $29,411 per game active roster bonus, up to $500,000.
He has a $3 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2024 league year.
Cooks is one of the Texans' most accomplished and reliable players. Cooks caught a team-high 90 passes for 1,037 yards and 6 touchdowns last season. He has recorded 171 receptions for 2,187 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons since the Texans acquired him from the Rams. Cooks has caught 573 career passes for 7,917 yards and 46 touchdowns.
“It means a lot," Texans coach Lovie Smith said after Cooks agreed to terms. "Brandin has been through an awful lot. He’s a guy that’s done it a few different places, but what I was able to see from a different position last year was just how he went to work every day, too. You have veterans that you want on the team to show the younger guys how to play, how to handle themselves as a pro.
Nelson, who recorded 50 tackles and one interception for the Philadelphia Eagles last season and has also started for the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, has played in 98 games in his career and recorded 341 total tackles, eight interceptions, and 59 pass deflections.
His contract includes $4.5 million guaranteed with a $2 million signing bonus.
He has base salaries of $1.75 million (guaranteed) and $3.5 million ($750,000 guaranteed) with a $250,000 incentive in 2022. He's due $44,117 per game active in roster bonuses in 2022 for a maximum of $750,000 and $58,823 per game active in 2023 for a maximum of $1 million.
Aaron Wilson is a Pro Football Network reporter and analyst and a contributor to Sports Talk 790.
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