A quiet Wednesday in New Orleans turned into a costly farewell, as the Saints cut ties with veteran Brandin Cooks, leaving behind a fractured locker room bond and a multi-million dollar hole in their salary cap. Team quarterback Tyler Shough quietly had grown one of the closest bonds this season with Cooks, and the news landed with a sting that was almost instantly visible.

Immediately after the news broke, Shough took to Instagram and put up a picture originally posted by the Saints and added the simple message.

“My Dog 🤞,” the QB’s caption read.

It was a response that encapsulated respect and disappointment as he bid farewell to his teammate.

“It sucks. It’s hard,” Shough said, according to Saints sideline reporter Jeff Nowak.

His words reflected the departure of a mentor. Head coach Kellen Moore added that Cooks wanted to pursue other opportunities. He spoke in praise of the receiver’s professionalism and his willingness to work with the team on contract adjustments that smoothed the way for both sides.

“He’ll have his plan moving forward. … He’ll have opportunities in the future that he can pursue, and so, it’ll all work out,” Moore said.

Moore said Cooks had done everything the team had asked. The sentiment underlined the respect Cooks maintained in his reduced role.

Despite returning to the team that drafted him in 2014, Brandin Cooks saw limited production this season, finishing with 19 receptions for 165 yards through 10 games. With Cooks now gone and Rashid Shaheed traded, the Saints could turn to their remaining receivers to handle the workload over the final stretch.

Yet the biggest shock from the move did not come on the field or in the locker room. It came from the financial side.

Kellen Moore’s Saints are in trouble amid Tyler Shough’s message

Brandin Cooks’ release turned out to be far more expensive than anyone in New Orleans would have hoped. The veteran wideout signed a two-year, $13 million deal that included $7.75 million guaranteed, locking the Saints into meaningful payouts regardless of how long he stayed on the roster. With $1.69 million of his 2026 salary also guaranteed, the financial commitment was already significant before the team made its decision.

With the deal structured as guaranteeing money already paid out or locked in, Cooks takes home over $8 million in cash for all 10 games he suited up for New Orleans. The real issue for Kellen Moore and the front office, though, is the dead-cap hit.

Spotrac reports the Saints will absorb $4.85 million in dead money in 2025 and another $3.2 million in 2026. Dead cap is money paid to a player no longer on the roster, and it can’t be reallocated to new signings or emergency depth. The Saints are now dedicating nearly $8 million in future cap space to a receiver who won’t catch another pass for them.

That’s a big setback for a team that entered the year already juggling cap constraints. Every dead-cap dollar restricts roster flexibility, from signing a veteran wideout to fortifying the offensive line or strengthening defensive depth.

Cooks’ exit clears a roster spot, but it leaves behind a financial bruise the Saints must manage long after he’s gone.