49ers Sign Brandin Cooks From P-Squad

Cooks is coming up as 3-0 San Francisco battles a slew of injuries at receiver ahead of its Week 4 matchup with a formidable Denver secondary. Mike Evans (ribs) did not practice on Thursday, leaving his status up in the air for Sunday. Meanwhile, the team will definitely go without De’Zhaun Stribling, Christian Kirk, Demarcus Robinson and Ricky Pearsall, all of whom are on injured reserve.

Cooks, Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins are the only healthy receivers on the 49ers’ roster, though they could elevate Dante Pettis, Will Pauling or Wesley Grimes from the practice squad if necessary. They reunited with Pettis, a 49er from 2018-20, on Tuesday. Other than Cooks and Samuel, there are no established options in that bunch. Cowing and Watkins have eight NFL catches between them (just two this year), Pettis has fallen well shy of expectations since the 49ers chose him 44th overall in 2018, and Pauling and Grimes are rookie UDFAs.

Cooks, a California native who is in position to suit up for his seventh team, has piled up 734 receptions, 9,811 yards and 60 touchdowns during his 12-year career. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound field stretcher has surpassed 1,000 yards six times, though he hasn’t accomplished that since he was with the Texans in 2021. Cooks is entering 2026 off back-to-back seasons of fewer than 30 receptions, including 24 in 15 games between New Orleans and Buffalo last year. He totaled 279 receiving yards, the second-lowest mark of the 33-year-old’s career, and went without a TD for the first time.

Hodge, a ninth-year journeyman, has primarily worked as a special-teamer during his career. The 31-year-old got into the 49ers’ first three games and played 88 snaps (51 on offense, 37 on special teams), but he caught just one pass for 18 yards. He was a non-participant in practice on Wednesday because of a knee injury, and now he’s off the 49ers’ roster.