When the Cleveland Browns traded for wide receiver Amari Cooper before the 2022 season, they viewed him as one of the most unappreciated contributors in the NFL.
Cooper had four 1,000-yard campaigns through his first seven years and was a cap casualty for the Dallas Cowboys – Cleveland happily sent a fifth-round pick to land the talented pass catcher.
Since he arrived in Berea, Ohio, Cooper has two 1,000-yard campaigns under his belt. He had a career-high nine touchdowns in 2022 and a career-high 1,250 receiving yards in 2023 as Cleveland’s unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver. While he’s put up monster production during his short tenure in the AFC North, there have been rumors swirling around his long-term future with the team.
Many around Cleveland figured it would be a short-term rental, either two or three years. That had been the expectation from the beginning, which can be difficult for an older player with aspirations of cashing in while winning. Cooper took it in stride, committing himself to the organization and delivering the best football of his career. He hoped his efforts would result in a long-term extension, holding out of minicamp this offseason while negotiating with the front office. Instead of adding years to his expiring contract, Cleveland opted to fully guarantee his $20 million salary and give him a raise of $5 million.
So, Cooper went into training camp on a one-year deal with a team desperate to contend now. That’s a lot of pressure, but the 30-year-old maintained his professionalism and reported to camp after striking an agreement. Just days after the news, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk requested a trade. Cleveland was one of three teams reportedly in the Aiyuk sweepstakes; the Browns were supposedly offering Cooper and multiple draft picks to sign Aiyuk to a mega-extension upon completing the transaction.
Those rumors have died down just weeks ahead of opening kickoff, meaning Cleveland will likely head into the season with Cooper as its No. 1 option. After a tumultuous offseason, no one would blame Cooper for feeling frustrated. He has selflessly stepped into a situation that has been less than ideal – Cleveland has started six different quarterbacks in Cooper’s two seasons and doesn’t have a playoff win yet.
While things in the NFL can always shift at a moment’s notice, it seems Cooper will do what he always does. He’ll remain quiet, buy into a talented roster, and show up on Sundays. It’s been a noisy few years for Cleveland, and having leaders like Cooper in place should signal to younger players what the Browns want and need to make a successful run.