Cleveland Browns fans were surprised to hear on Thursday afternoon that veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper is hanging up the cleats. The former Browns receiver signed with the Las Vegas Raiders last week after spending most of the offseason sitting in free agency.
For Cooper, it made sense to go back to the Raiders, as they need extra receiver depth, and it's the team that drafted him years ago. However, the ex-Browns wideout had a change of heart, just days before the start of the 2025 NFL regular season.
It’s been an interesting last year and some change for the 31-year-old Cooper. This time last year, the veteran wide receiver was gearing up for the 2024 season after coming off his second consecutive 1,000-yard-plus campaign.
However, Cooper’s first six games with the Browns last season didn’t go to plan, as he only had 24 receptions (53 targets) for 250 yards and two touchdowns. The veteran receiver’s production took a nosedive, as he also had 10 drops (second-most in his career), and 2.4 yards after the catch per reception (lowest of his career).
Browns Made Wise Decision to Part Ways With Amari Cooper Last Season
Between his drop-off in performance and the team not going anywhere, Cleveland shipped off the veteran wide receiver to the Buffalo Bills ahead of the trade deadline. The Browns gave up a 2025 sixth-round pick, but got in return a 2025 third-round and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
That third-round pick from the Bills ultimately became Dillon Gabriel, who is now the Browns’ backup quarterback behind Joe Flacco. The ex-Browns wide receiver didn’t do much with the Bills, posting 20 receptions (32 targets) for 297 yards and two touchdowns in eight games.
Cooper didn’t have as many drops with the Bills (2), and his yards after the catch per reception went up slightly to 2.7. However, it was clear that this wasn’t the same wide receiver we saw in Cleveland in 2022 and 2023.
Granted, the Browns’ wide receiver unit wasn’t spectacular post-Cooper last season, as Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman were the top two receivers. However, the Browns were smart to get those guys on the field more often and move on from a player that they weren’t likely to re-sign.
And the fact that the Browns got a top-100 pick in return, which could become their starting QB of the future, isn’t bad GM work by Andrew Berry.
Nonetheless, despite Cooper not finishing his last year of football in Cleveland, Browns fans appreciate what he did on the field, especially in 2023, which was the last time the team made the playoffs.