Brandin Cooks succumbs to Jerry Jones' pleas on risky hobby

The Dallas Cowboys completed their second preseason game this past weekend against the Seattle Seahawks. There were some big stories to come out of Seattle, including rookies DeMarvion Overshown and John Stephens Jr. suffering season-ending knee injuries. But one of the most talked about stories was wide receiver Brandin Cooks' team-bonding trip with linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

Ahead of the preseason game against the Seahawks, Cooks, a licensed pilot, flew a plane over Seattle with Parsons and Gilmore. The video went viral and discussions were had about how the team could approve of such a team-bonding moment. As it turns out, the owner of the team wasn't pleased.

“One thing I want to  Cooks for getting in that airplane with the best part of the team and flying up there with him,’’ Jones said, h/t Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I was glad I didn’t know that was going on. I would have to tell him part-time pilots, in my mind, are not the way to go.’’

Cowboys: Jerry Jones chastises Brandin Cooks for flying a plane ahead of the season

When speaking with reporters, Cooks stressed that he always flies a plane with a co-pilot aboard. But regarding Jones' message about flying the wide receiver said that he's not going to be doing so until the end of the

“That was probably the last flight of the year,’’ Cooks said, h/t the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’d obviously never do anything like that during the regular season. We’ll get back to it after February.”

The Cowboys needed another wide receiver to join CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, as their offense sputtered out against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round in what was a close 19-12 loss. So, Jones gave a call to the Houston Texans and acquired Cooks in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick.

Last year, Cooks caught 57 receptions for 699 yards and three touchdowns on 93 targets. In his three years with the Texans, Cooks recorded 228 receptions for 2,886 yards and 15 touchdowns on 346 targets.

With the team having Super Bowl aspirations, the Cowboys hope that Cooks can open things up downfield for quarterback Dak Prescott. With that, Jones has told Cooks no more flying and the wide receiver has agreed to put it off until the end of the season.