Cooks Flies Private Jet After 49ers Drop to Falcons

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandin Cooks spent his bye week flying over the Bay Area, a move that drew sharp criticism from fans following Sunday's 29-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The 13-year veteran shared video footage on Instagram showing his aircraft taking off from a runway, capturing the region from above. The clip quickly spread on X after user @Coach_Yac reposted it to gauge public reaction.

Cooks played in 45 of the 49ers' offensive snaps during the game but did not receive a single target. His lack of involvement contrasted with the performance of second-year receiver Jordan Watkins, who was targeted six times. Watkins caught three passes for 56 yards and nearly scored his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter. His leaping catch in the end zone was ruled incomplete because his foot landed out of bounds.

Fan response to Cooks' flight was largely negative. User @gv49ers commented that they were surprised he did not collide with another plane on the runway. Another user, @Jhin345, urged him to fly the team out of the bay, calling his performance poor. Not all comments were critical. User @Earthpigs23A joked about air traffic control before admitting it was fine to see players' lives outside of football.

Cooks joined the 49ers in September after signing with the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster shortly after joining. The receiver grew up in Stockton, California, and has described playing for the team as fulfilling a childhood dream.