Cowboys take team bonding to next level thanks to licensed pilot Brandin Cooks

The Dallas Cowboys went on a team bonding trip over Seattle ahead of their preseason game against the Seahawks.

The Dallas Cowboys are preparing for yet another important season, as they look to make a return to the Super Bowl for the first time in 28 years. In Cowboys training camp, there have been numerous fights, one of them including star linebacker Micah Parsons. Well, before the regular season officially begins, the preseason allows for some players to spend some time together for the sake of team bonding.

On Saturday, ahead of Dallas’ game against the Seattle Seahawks, wide receiver Brandin Cooks decided to bond with cornerback Stephon Gilmore and Parsons. What did they do? Cooks, a licensed pilot, flew a plane with Gilmore and Parsons as passengers and flew over Lumen Field in Seattle ahead of the preseason game.

Cowboys: Brandin Cooks, Micah Parsons, and Stephon Gilmore bond while flying a plane over Seattle

What a way for Parsons and Gilmore to bond with a new teammate.

After last season, it was evident that the Cowboys needed to bring in a quality top-three wide receiver. While CeeDee Lamb became the undisputed star of the wide receiver room, they were hurt by their offseason trade of Amari Cooper, who finished with over 1,000 receiving yards with his new team, the Cleveland Browns. So, the Cowboys decided to give the Houston Texans a call, and they were able to acquire Cooks in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick.

Cooks was a solid addition, considering he recorded over 1,000 receiving yards in six of his nine seasons played. Last year, Cooks played in just 13 games after dealing with a calf injury that sidelined him for three contests, while sitting out for one after the team failed to trade him at the deadline. Through that stretch of games played, Cooks caught 57-of-93 targets for 699 yards and three touchdowns.

As for Gilmore, he was brought to Dallas to bolster their secondary, which was an area of weakness last season. All it took was a 2023 fifth-round pick to get Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts.

In 16 games played, Gilmore recorded 66 combined tackles (53 solo, 13 assisted), 11 passes defended, and two interceptions. In pass coverage, Gilmore allowed 50 receptions for 577 yards and two touchdowns on 89 targets, per Pro Football Reference.

This year, Cooks will look to help open things up downfield for the Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott. This will be a different offense, as head coach Mike McCarthy will be calling plays after they moved on from offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after last season. Even with the NFC looking much tougher than last year, the Cowboys, on paper, look to be one of the favorites to make it to the playoffs.