McCarthy downplays Cooks' limited usage: 'I don't play fantasy football'

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has grown impatient with inquiries into the team's usage of Brandin Cooks after the wide receiver produced one catch for 7 yards in Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I don't play fantasy football," McCarthy said, according to The Athletic's Jon Machota. "We have game plans, and I think it's important, and this is a challenge for guys because our system is built on making the quarterback successful. That's the way this passing game is taught. It's the way I've learned it. It's the way it has always been the last 30 years."

"Yes, I'd love to see everybody get the ball," McCarthy added. "But when you throw for (374) yards and you got to come in here and answer questions about someone not getting the ball - come on, I don't think that's a real evaluation."

After failing to bring Cooks in prior to last year’s trade deadline, Dallas acquired the veteran wideout in March by sending fifth- and sixth-round picks to the Houston Texans.

Cooks has started six of seven games, missing a single outing due to a knee injury. The 30-year-old wideout is on pace to record career lows with 2.4 catches per game. He's posted 17 catches on 29 targets for 165 yards and two scores so far this season. The 2014 first-round pick recorded six seasons with 1,000 or more yards during his 10 years in the league.

Cooks' yardage totals have gradually declined over the past three seasons; he recorded 1,150 yards in 2020 compared to 699 in 2022.

Star receiver CeeDee Lamb has 824 yards this year and is averaging 14.5 yards per catch to go along with three touchdowns. Tight end Jake Ferguson and wideout Michael Gallup are among the other pass-catchers to have featured in the offense over Cooks recently. Cooks is fifth on the team in most receiving statistics, including targets (29).