It didn’t take long after his split with Renee Zellweger for the Hollywood rumor mill to paint a picture of Bradley Cooper back in the arms of former flame Jennifer Aniston.

But that isn’t the case, sources have told Us Weekly.

“Bradley loves Jennifer as a friend,” a friend of the couple claims. What’s stopping that love from turning romantic? Apparently, Cooper’s machismo. Or maybe it’s his ego.

“Bradley knows that by dating Jen, he’s be known as Mr. Jennifer Aniston,” one of his “pals” explained.

So why the sudden urge to reconnect?

“They were looking at projects to work on together,” the source reported.

Cooper and Aniston, 42, costarred in 2009’s “He’s Just Not That Into You.” They were briefly linked before Cooper hooked up with Zellweger. That relationship fizzled in March, reportedly because the 36-year-old actor wasn’t ready to tie the knot.