As the 2022 NFL trade deadline nears, the Houston Texans are clearly going to be sellers. One player drawing a lot of interest from around the league is wide receiver Brandin Cooks. It seems like both sides want a trade to go through before the deadline, but it looks like there may be a big potential roadblock that prevents a deal from getting done.

Cooks is widely believed to be the top wide receiver on the trade market as the deadline approaches, and for good reason. But Cooks also has a pretty big contract this season ($18 million) which is scaring some teams off, as it will be tough to fit that amount of money under the salary cap midway through the season. Combine that with the Texans asking price of a second-round pick and a Day 3 pick, and there hasn't been much movement on Cooks' market so far.

“The Texans have had talks on moving receiver Brandin Cooks, but Houston’s asking price (a second-rounder and a Day 3 pick) and Cooks’s $18 million guarantee for 2023 have kept anything from happening to this point.” – Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated

This isn't good news for the Texans or Cooks. The Texans have no use for Cooks anymore, and would be wise to move him for some draft picks, which is what they are trying to do. But if they don't budge on their asking price, no teams are going to be interested in taking on Cooks.

There's a decent chance the Texans will drop their asking price, especially if they lose again in Week 8 against the Tennessee Titans. But as of right now, a trade for Cooks at the deadline doesn't seem as likely as it once did, and it will be interesting to see whether this is a roadblock the Texans can overcome in their quest to trade Cooks.