The New Orleans Saints unveiled their 2025 captains on Tuesday. There are some familiar names, such as Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Erik McCoy and Alvin Kamara. Jordan is going into his whopping tenth season as a captain. Then on the other side of the spectrum, you have Justin Reid and Brandin Cooks as captains in their first year with the team. The latter may catch some off guard.
The Saints went with eight captains: three on offense and defense and two on special teams. Blake Grupe and Zach Wood were obvious choices as specialists. The same can be said for returning players on offense and defense. With how seamlessly Reid has taken over for Tyrann Mathieu as the vocal leader of the third level, this feels nearly as obvious as the rest of the defenders.
Finding a third on offense becomes a little difficult. As you begin to really think about it, though, Cooks begins to stand out as the most obvious answer. In his return to New Orleans, the veteran has already displayed his leadership in a crucial moment.
Brandin Cooks emerged as the leader of the Saints receiving corps even prior to minicamp
After rejoining the Saints after a eight-year hiatus, the only familiar faces to Cooks were Jordan and the front office. Cooks took it upon himself to make sure he, the rest of the wide receivers and their potential starting quarterback were well acquainted.
Cooks organized a throwing sessions between the wide receivers, Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler. Understanding the need to gain chemistry and gain it quickly, Cooks showed the initiative of stepping up and taking charge. This is the most visible example, but it is fair to assume there are other smaller examples to be seen more regularly.
In addition to his actions, Cooks is clearly the vet in the room. He’s at least three years older than anyone in the room and has over a half decade of NFL experience over everyone. Cooks isn’t just the vet. He’s a leader within the room, and the Saints rewarded him with the honor of being a captain.
