Texans WR Brandin Cooks advises Randall Cobb to ‘go back home’ to Packers

Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks believes teammate Randall Cobb should return to the Green Bay Packers.

There was speculation on Monday that the Packers could re-acquire Cobb as part of their efforts to make peace with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Cooks weighed in on the matter Tuesday, the day before the Texans’ first practice of training camp, and advised the former Pro Bowl receiver to return to the club that drafted him in the second round from Kentucky in 2011.

“You meet people and they become family right away!” Cooks tweeted. “@rcobb18 go back home and set it off,” with the emoji of a bow and arrow, which is part of Cooks’ theme as “The Archer.”

Part of the complication with sending Cobb back to Green Bay is the contract former coach and general manager Bill O’Brien gave him — three years, $27 million, with $18 million guaranteed. Cobb is scheduled to count $10.4 million against the Texans’ salary cap in 2021.

The Texans were also looking forward to Cobb and Cooks providing leadership for the receiving corps.

“Those two guys are definitely the leaders of the group,” receivers coach Robert Prince said on June 8. “First, both of them are willing to take coaching. Some of the techniques that we’re doing now are different than what they’re used to and they’re buying in, which helps with the whole group.

“But also, some of the routes, they do have a little bit of nuances to them. We’ll watch Randall on some of the slot routes and say, ‘hey, what were you thinking here?’ He does a great job of giving input and the key is making something that was difficult look easy and simplifying it. That’s what we’re trying to do with some of the things.”

The club traded with the Chicago Bears for wideout Anthony Miller, giving the team options with Cobb.