What should we make of Brandin Cooks’ comments Thursday? And do you think it could have an effect on the rest of this season?

Kubena: Brandin Cooks and the Texans are contractually stuck together, and it’s more likely than not Cooks is traded in the offseason. Cooks made it clear that he’s “frustrated” by this year’s losses, wouldn’t commit to staying in Houston beyond 2022 and that he at least thought he was on the same page with Nick Caserio about the team’s culture as recently as training camp but isn’t any longer.

The latter is most striking. Cooks says he doesn’t know what Caserio’s culture vision looks like anymore. That is quite a notable statement, particularly since Caserio has defined it himself several times in various media appearances. Caserio told reporters almost a year ago that the Texans are “looking for good players that are good people that care about winning that put the team first that put the team above themself and are committed to work through purposeful action.”

Caserio also placed Cooks “at the top of the list” of committed players. So, if there’s anyone who ought to know about the culture of the Texans, it’s Cooks. There’s a clear disconnect between the two, and Cooks declined to detail what has changed since training camp.

“A lot of things change, right?” Cooks said. So, it’s likely a combination of his on-field performance, a 1-6-1 record that’s worse than he expected and the franchise’s firing of Jack Easterby, a former character coach, culture crafter and front office enigma who had an established friendship with Cooks.

Again, the latter is more prominent. The Texans weren’t expected to win this season. Cooks, who signed a two-year contract extension with $36 million in guaranteed money in April, ought to have known failure was a possibility on a rebuilding team with its third offensive play-caller in three seasons. If it takes trading Cooks to enter the post-Easterby era, that’s something the Texans will have to accept.

Alexander: Cooks’ comments were certainly enlightening. Among the things we learned was that he’s tired of losing, knows he doesn’t have many years left, and wants to win now. Though he signed a two-year extension this past offseason (it’s more than fair to question why), things have not gone exactly how he envisioned it.

But the biggest thing was that he’s obviously not on the same page as general manager Nick Caserio. The relationship there is fractured no matter what anyone says publicly, and if I had a guess, Cooks will likely be traded by March as soon as the Texans can find a trade partner and an agreement on how much of Cooks’ salary they’ll take on.

It’s the only way they’ll be able to move him, because that $18 million in guaranteed money for 2023 is a non-starter for other teams.

I will say I don’t think it will have an effect on the rest of the season. Cooks is a professional and he has displayed professionalism through it all. His teammates have voiced their support for him, and he says he’s playing for them.

Cooks also knows he’s auditioning for another team. And the Texans’ coaching staff knows they need him this year if they want to keep their jobs long-term.

I don’t expect it to have an effect on the rest of the season, but I do think this offseason will be interesting.