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Amari Cooper

NFL Minor Transactions: 9/5/25

September 5th, 2025 at 7:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Friday’s minor transactions as we await Game 2 of the 2025 season, including today’s standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Chiefs and Chargers:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Each NFL team is granted two standard gameday practice squad elevations each game, allowing them to call up two members of their practice squad that are able to play in that weekend’s game. After the game is played, the elevated players revert back to the practice squad with no transaction required. This differs from a transaction like we saw earlier today wherein wide receiver Justin Shorter was signed to the Raiders’ active roster from their practice squad. He is now permanently on the team’s 53-man roster until they cut him or until his contract expires.

Practice squad players can be called up a maximum of three times under a single practice squad contract. If the team wants to call up a player who’s been called up three times already, team’s will usually sign the player to their active roster for a game, cut them after, and then sign them to a new practice squad contract. Under a new contract, the player would be eligible to be elevated for three more games.

Raiders WR Amari Cooper To Retire

September 4th, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Amari Cooper‘s return to the Raiders will not include any game action in 2025. The Pro Bowl wideout is instead ending his career.

Cooper informed Vegas on Thursday he is retiring, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The former Raiders draftee returned to his original team last week, ending his lengthy stay on the open market. In spite of that, Cooper’s career is coming to an end.

The 31-year-old had a down year in 2024 but did not encounter any major injury concerns. As a result, Cooper was expected to play this year, and his Raiders reunion suggested that would be the case. However, a reversal has now taken place days before Vegas’ regular season begins.

While Cooper managed to play at least 14 games every season during his career, Pelissero notes he struggled in the ramp-up process for the 2025 campaign. Instead of missing time early in a bid to suit up later in the season, the 10-year veteran will hang up his cleats. At the moment, the Raiders are now left with only four receivers on their active roster (although the team has three replacement options on the practice squad).

The fourth overall pick in 2015’s draft, Cooper had a productive run of three-plus seasons with the then-Oakland Raiders. He was traded to the Cowboys midway through the 2018 season before ultimately signing a five-year extension with Dallas. While playing out that $100MM pact, Cooper remained a highly consistent producer but the emergence of CeeDee Lamb opened the door to another trade. The Browns traded for Cooper in 2022.

That move proved to be fruitful, as the Alabama product delivered on expectations during his two full Cleveland campaigns. As a pending free agent, Cooper was dealt to the Bills last season ahead of the trade deadline. His production fell short of expectations based on the third-round pick paid in that agreement, something which no doubt contributed to a long stay on the open market.

Upon reuniting with the Raiders – at least, a regime far removed from the one he last played for as a member of the team – Cooper was set to play a role of some kind for Vegas. Instead, the team will now proceed with Jakobi Meyers (who just rescinded his trade request after an unsuccessful bid to work out an extension), along with fellow returnee Tre Tucker and rookies Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton at the receiver spot.

Cooper recorded 1,000 or more yards seven times in his career, serving as a model of consistency over the course of his career despite changing teams midseason on multiple occasions. He is one of 57 players in NFL history to amass 10,000 career receiving yards. In all, Cooper totaled 162 combined regular and postseason appearances and over $136MM in earnings.

Raiders Bring Back WR Amari Cooper

August 25th, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

11:08pm: Cooper’s one-year deal with the Raiders (which is now official) is worth a $3.5MM base value, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The contract also contains $500K in per-game roster bonuses plus up to another $2MM in incentives. The max value comes in at $6MM.

4:35pm: On a day when one Raiders receiver has asked to be dealt, a former wideout is set to return to the team. Amari Cooper is heading to Vegas.

This will be a one-year reunion, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. Jakobi Meyers is looking for a trade in the wake of extension talks stalling, so the timing of today’s news is certainly noteworthy. Still, the Raiders were named today as one of the teams in the market for a WR addition, so this move is not entirely surprising.

[RELATED: Raiders Do Not Intend To Honor Meyers’ Trade Request; Teams Interested]

Cooper has not had a strong market for his services this offseason, a reflection of his underwhelming production upon being dealt from the Browns to the Bills midway through last season. The five-time Pro Bowler averaged 37 yards per game with Buffalo down the stretch. The team left the door open to a re-signing, but nothing took place on that front and a lucrative addition was ultimately made in the form of Josh Palmer.

A return to the Cowboys received consideration shortly after the draft, but in the end Dallas worked out a trade for George Pickens. No other suitors emerged over the course of the summer, and with the preseason in the books Cooper will now face a quick ramp-up period ahead of the campaign. He will do so with the franchise he began his career with (albeit in a different city).

A first-round pick of the then-Oakland Raiders, Cooper enjoyed a highly consistent start to his career. He totaled 3,183 yards and 19 touchdowns across 52 games before being dealt to the Cowboys midway through the 2018 season. Cooper went on to top 1,000 yards another four times after that trade, giving Dallas and later Cleveland a dependable WR1. Expectations will be tempered for 2025, but the 31-year-old will give Vegas an experienced starting-caliber option with Myers’ future at least somewhat uncertain.

The receiver-hungry 49ers showed interest in Cooper, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Instead of heading to San Francisco, though, he will re-join a Raiders team which is much different than when he left.

Mutual Interest Between Cowboys, WR Amari Cooper

May 5th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

The draft came and went without the Cowboys adding at the receiver spot. At least one addition amongst the veterans still on the market is expected as a result, with a familiar face on the team’s radar.

Amari Cooper‘s name was recently mentioned as a wideout the Cowboys have discussed bringing back. Nothing is imminent at this point, but this team-player connection remains one to watch. During an appearance on SportsCenter yesterday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported a “mutual interest” exists between Dallas and Cooper (h/t Bleacher Report).

The Cowboys traded for Cooper in 2018, with a first-round pick going the other way. The former Raider remained in Dallas for another three seasons, topping 1,100 receiving yards on two occasions. With CeeDee Lamb emerging as the team’s WR1, Cooper was dealt to the Browns in March 2022 as part of a late-round pick swap agreement. Since that point, the Cowboys have attempted to find a viable group of options to complement Lamb.

Over the past two seasons, that effort included Brandin Cooks logging a starter’s role. He returned to the Saints during free agency, though, further limiting the number of veterans still available to Dallas. Cooper – whose production took a notable step back in 2024 – should not require a major financial investment if a Cowboys reunion is to take place. Given Lamb’s $34MM-per-year pact, cost-effective role players will of course be key at the position.

During his two full seasons in Cleveland, Cooper racked up 2,410 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Browns struggled with respect to quarterback play last year, and the midseason trade which sent him to Buffalo did not produce a large workload on his new team. Entering his age-31 campaign, Cooper will not be expected to duplicate the success from earlier in his career on his next team.

Nevertheless, the five-time Pro Bowler could help a Cowboys WR room led by Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo Parris Campbell and returner KaVontae Turpin. Dallas currently has roughly $34.5MM in cap space with other offseason priorities (like a Micah Parsons extension) to attend to. It will be interesting to see, though, if progress toward a Cooper agreement can be made in the near future.

Cowboys May Reunite With Amari Cooper After Missing Out On Tetairoa McMillan

April 28th, 2025 at 4:46pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cowboys were widely expected to add to their wide receiver room this offseason, but they didn’t sign any major free agents or draft a single player at the position.

Dallas would have drafted Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 12 pick if he was available, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer, but the Arizona wideout was selected three picks earlier by the Panthers. They also explored a trade for a veteran receiver from the AFC North, per Archer, but couldn’t come to terms to finalize the deal.

Now, Dallas will likely have to add one of the veteran receivers still available in free agency. One name has already jumped out at the team, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Amari Cooper. He had a down year in 2024, both in Cleveland before the trade deadline and in Buffalo after. The 30-year-old posted the lowest per-game numbers of his career and has received little interest in free agency as a result.

The Cowboys have discussed the possibility of a reunion with Cooper internally, but no deal is imminent, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater. The team is still evaluating their options at the position, which also include veteran free agents like Keenan Allen and Nelson Agholor.

After missing out on McMillan, the Cowboys went with offensive guard Tyler Booker  and by the time they were back on the clock in the second round, four more receivers were off the board. Dallas took Florida State edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku with pick No. 44, and another four wideouts were taken before their next pick, which they used on Eastern Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel. All three players were ranked among the team’s top 35 prospects, according to Archer.

Though the Cowboys didn’t address their biggest need in the draft, it’s hard to argue with their process. They drew criticism for taking a guard with such a high first-round pick, especially since Booker was not considered a top-20 talent. However, he was thought to be the best guard in the draft, and the team’s acquisition of falling talents at premium positions in Ezeiruaku and Revel allowed them to finish Day 2 with three players who could start as rookies.

Bills See RB James Cook As Core Player; Team Plans To Bolster CB Group In Offseason

February 9th, 2025 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bills see running back James Cook as a “big part” of their future, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported last month (video link). That is hardly surprising, as Cook has posted a robust 4.9 yards-per-carry average over his first three years in the NFL and led the league in rushing touchdowns (16) in 2024.

Because Cook, a 2022 draftee, is now eligible for an extension, it would be fair to expect Buffalo to engage in contract discussions with the two-time Pro Bowler’s camp this offseason (especially since he is a former second-round pick and does not have a fifth-year option included in his rookie deal). The problem, as Rapoport observes, is that Cook is just one of a number of talented young players whose contract situations may need to be addressed in short order.

Like Cook, linebacker Terrel Bernard, center Connor McGovern, cornerback Christian Benford, and edge defender Gregory Rousseau are all entering platform years, and Rapoport identifies that quintet as a group that could be in line for a new deal. GM Brandon Beane could deploy the franchise tag on one of those players next offseason if need be, but he will still have plenty of work to do to keep a championship-caliber core intact.

Indeed, despite the Bills’ inability to get over a Kansas City-sized hump in the AFC playoff field, Beane understandably is not going to overhaul his roster. In his end-of-season presser following another difficult playoff defeat at the hands of the Chiefs several weeks ago, Beane said he and his staff will “reset” and “recalibrate” as the Bills seek to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 campaign (via Alex White and Maddy Glab of the team’s official website, who also name WR Khalil Shakir as a rising fourth-year pro who might be the target of extension talks).

Part of Beane’s offseason plan will almost certainly include negotiations with at least some members of Buffalo’s 2026 free agent class, but Beane naturally indicated he will first attend to the players who are due to hit the open market next month. That list includes players like midseason trade acquisition Amari Cooper – whose disappointing Buffalo stint did not foreclose the possibility of a new contract keeping the high-profile wideout in western New York – and cornerback Rasul Douglas.

Beane said he will not bloat the Bills’ salary cap picture with expensive contracts in an effort to slay their playoff demons, which is perhaps an indication that Buffalo will once again avoid the deep end of the free agent pool. However, he did concede that he will need to address the team’s outside cornerback position in some way.

The Bills’ lack of depth in that regard was on full display when Benford was injured in the first quarter of this year’s AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs and was lost for the remainder of the contest. That depth will become even more of a concern if the team does not re-sign Douglas.

“Whether it’s extending guys, signing a free agent, or draft allocation, [boundary corner] is one of the areas we would look at,” Beane said.

Underlying all of this is the fact that the Bills could look to give quarterback and newly-minted MVP Josh Allen a pay bump. If such a raise comes as part of an extension or restructure, it could allow the team to reduce Allen’s $43MM cap charge for 2025 and improve their salary cap situation (at present, OverTheCap.com estimates that Buffalo is roughly $14MM over the 2025 cap, the third-worst situation in the league).

Bills Don’t Regret Amari Cooper Trade, Would Consider Re-Signing WR

January 30th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Amari Cooper‘s half-season stint in Buffalo didn’t necessarily go as planned. After being shipped from the Browns to the Bills in October, the veteran wideout was limited to only 20 receptions and a career-worst 37.1 yards per game. Despite the disappointing results, it sounds like Bills GM Brandon Beane would make the move again.

Speaking to reporters today, Beane said he does “not regret the move” and believes Cooper helped the Bills despite the lack of counting stats (per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). The GM also hinted that the wideout’s wrist injury may have contributed to his underwhelming production. Beane told reporters that Cooper’s wrist injury could have required surgery, with one doctor actually recommending that route. However, the wideout decided to play through the injury (per Getzenberg).

Cooper is now set to hit free agency, and there’s a chance the two sides look to continue their partnership. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bills have been happy with Cooper’s presence in the locker room, and they’re “intrigued” by the idea of giving the receiver a full offseason to click with Josh Allen.

The 30-year-old WR may not have a robust market following a disappointing 2024 campaign. In 14 games with the Browns and Bills, Cooper was limited to only 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns. Still, Cooper is only a year removed from a 2023 campaign where he hauled in a career-high 1,250 receiving yards, so there could be plenty of teams that are willing to look past the recent drop in production.

While the Bills will continue to evaluate their wide receiver options heading into the offseason, the front office will also be focused on keeping their franchise QB in Buffalo for the long haul. While Allen is still under contract through the 2028 campaign, Beane didn’t completely rule out extending his franchise star.

“I’m not saying it will happen, I’m not saying it won’t happen — I don’t really want to go into that,” Beane said of a potential extension (h/t Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com). “And I really can’t tell you at this point. We haven’t even approached that. It’s just, season-ending loss, he doesn’t even want to talk about it. … He was dejected, like all of us. There will be a time and place. And not saying we will, but not ruling it out either.”

AFC Injury Updates: Jets, Cooper, Jaguars

January 4th, 2025 at 5:04pm CST by Ely Allen

On Monday, the Jets placed starting safety Chuck Clark on injured reserve without disclosing the reason for the transaction. Similarly, the next day, kicker Greg Zuerlein was placed on IR, as well, though his transaction flew a bit further under the radar as a minor move.

Today, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported reasons for both transactions today. Clark was reportedly placed on IR with a torn pectoral muscle. Clark had recently worked his way back from injury, being activated off IR in mid-November after missing a month with an ankle injury. Since leaving Baltimore in 2022, Clark has been absolutely plagued by injuries. He missed the entire 2023 season with a torn ACL and only appeared in 12 games this year.

Zuerlein was placed on IR after reportedly experiencing some back tightness in pregame warmups last Sunday. Greg Joseph was available for the game in replacement duty, but he didn’t attempt a kick in the loss to Buffalo.

Here are a couple other injury updates heading into the final week of the regular season:

  • The Bills have been locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC no matter what happens in Week 18 of the regular season, so they will likely have a number of starters remaining on the sideline for most of the game. One starter, wide receiver Amari Cooper, will not even be available to play, being downgraded to out today due to a personal family matter, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Cooper will not even travel with the team this week.
  • Similarly, Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen will not be traveling to Indianapolis with his teammates this weekend. He also has been ruled out due to personal reasons, according to Schefter. Hines-Allen will miss his first game in three years.

Trade Rumors: Chiefs, Cooper, Browns, Jefferson, Bills, Eagles

October 22nd, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reminding of the 2010s Patriots, the Chiefs have continued to pile up wins lacking in style points. They are the NFL’s lone unbeaten, though the two-time reigning Super Bowl champs’ plus-43 point differential — thanks to four one-score wins — is tied for seventh in the NFL. Kansas City has lost Rashee Rice for the season, and Marquise Brown is out for at least the full regular season. The team also lost JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday; the recently re-signed veteran aggravated a hamstring injury and will miss at least Week 8, Andy Reid said.

While the Chiefs do have an all-time great at tight end in Travis Kelce, albeit a 35-year-old version of the TE/podcast host/actor, they have not seen first-rounder Xavier Worthy develop into a consistent option. The team has used Mecole Hardman more, with Justin Watson and Skyy Moore reprised their 2023 roles as regulars Sunday due to the injuries. Although Kansas City keeps getting by — thanks largely to a stout defense — SI.com’s Albert Breer points to the team still being interested in adding a wideout.

The Chiefs have been linked to DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk recently but have not made a move. It will be interesting to see if an AFC team would be willing to help them construct a better threepeat bid. NFCer Cooper Kupp, however, is available — albeit for a second-round pick. With the deadline moved back a week (to Nov. 5) this year, here is more from the trade market:

  • Amari Cooper relocated to Buffalo last week, with the Browns — after having not extended the reliable veteran this offseason — dealing him to the Bills in a pick-swap trade headlined by a 2025 third-rounder. The Browns were planning to hang onto Cooper until closer to the deadline, according to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. In addition to Buffalo, two other teams were in on the former top-five pick, per Cabot, who adds the other suitors did not match the Bills’ aggression. Cooper did not expect to be dealt, and the Browns did not anticipate the Bills showing such strong interest. The 30-year-old pass catcher caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in his Bills debut.
  • The Bills are not shutting the door on making another move to bolster their enduring Super Bowl quest. Bills GM Brandon Beane said during a Pat McAfee Show interview that Josh Allen‘s presence, despite the team’s cost-cutting moves this offseason, continues to keep the club “all in” toward a Super Bowl push. The eighth-year GM is open to more deals, though The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia indicates a lower-profile trade — potentially for a backup offensive lineman — could be the Cooper encore. Beane added the Browns showing cold feet on Cooper would have prompted the team to keep looking at receiver. Cooper’s presence rounds out Buffalo’s receiving corps, which has seen improvement from Khalil Shakir and some recent growth from rookie Keon Coleman.
  • Another Browns player drawing trade interest: veteran D-lineman Quinton Jefferson. Teams have asked about the recent free agent signing, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes. A productive but nomadic player, Jefferson has played for five teams over the past five years. The former Seahawks draftee has operated as a Browns backup, playing in five games and registering one sack. The Browns used void years to drop Jefferson’s cap hit to $1.2MM (on a one-year, $4MM deal), giving an acquiring team a minimal prorated sum to take on in the event of a trade. The Browns should be expected to move other pieces not essential to their 2025-and-beyond plans, but Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward are viewed as off the table.
  • The Eagles received a bounce-back effort from their pass rush Sunday, preying on Andrew Thomas‘ absence to sack Giants quarterbacks eight times. Jalen Carter and off-ball linebacker Nakobe Dean led the way with two apiece. Defensive ends accounted for the other four, but the edge group has started slowly. Big-ticket FA signing Bryce Huff has 1.5 sacks and just three QB hits in six games. Going into Week 7, Breer added the Eagles — rarely shy about trade talks under Howie Roseman — may be a team to monitor regarding a pass-rushing addition.

Amari Cooper To Play In Week 7; Latest On Bills’ Pursuit

October 18th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Davante Adams was dealt to the Jets earlier this week, but that AFC East wideout acquisition was soon followed up by the Bills landing Amari Cooper. Further details have emerged on the latter swap.

Buffalo was one of several suitors for Adams, who represented the top trade target amongst receivers. The price for adding the three-time All-Pro was dictated in large part by Vegas’ desire to avoid retaining any of his salary. That wound up being the case, something which took the Bills out of the running to seriously pursue a deal.

“My gut was [the Raiders] were never interested in eating money, which they didn’t,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane confirmed when speaking about Adams’ trade market (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News). “If they were interested in doing that, they probably could have gotten some more from us or somebody else.”

With the Bills never truly being a contender to acquire Adams, attention turned to Cooper. As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes, Beane and Co. touched base with the Browns before further conversations on a trade took place Monday (video link). That agreement (which saw Buffalo land Cooper and a sixth-round pick this year for a third-rounder and a seventh-round selection in 2026) was worked out one day later, a sign of how smoothly negotiations progressed.

Cooper stated he did not expect to be dealt, and Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports notes the Browns were not actively shopping him prior to the agreement being reached (video link). Rather, it was Buffalo’s “very aggressive” efforts to land Cooper which got the deal done. Indeed, Underdog Fantasy’s James Palmer notes the Browns got a higher trade price than they expected. He adds, however, that Cleveland did now view the five-time Pro Bowler has living up to the team’s standards through the opening portion of the season.

Cooper’s 41.7 yards per game in 2024 is the lowest mark of his career, a result of the Browns’ struggling offense but also a potential sign of decline. The 30-year-old will be nevertheless be expected to handle a heavy workload early on in his Buffalo tenure, given the lack of experienced pass-catchers on the Bills’ offense. After the team traded away Stefon Diggs and allowed Gabe Davis to depart in free agency, Cooper has the potential to command a notable target share with his latest team. Acclimating to the Bills’ playbook will take time, but no waiting period should be expected.

Head coach Sean McDermott said (via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia) he expects Cooper to suit up against the Titans on Sunday. A full workload days after being dealt may not be realistic, but he will be positioned to contribute right away on a team once again looking to make a deep run amongst the AFC’s contenders.

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