Tag: Amari Cooper

Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Justin Shorter (88) warms up prior to a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Report: Raiders sign WR Justin Shorter in wake of Amari Cooper retirement

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Las Vegas Raiders signed Justin Shorter off their practice squad in the wake of fellow wide receiver Amari Cooper’s unexpected retirement, according to multiple reports Friday.

A five-time Pro Bowler, Cooper informed the Raiders on Thursday that he is retiring, ending a 10-season career.

The news came on the heels of Cooper telling reporters, “Trust me, I still have some juice left,” last week after signing a one-year contract with the organization that made him the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Shorter, 25, played in 10 games last season for the Raiders.

In his college career with Penn State and Florida, Shorter recorded 110 receptions for 1,552 yards and eight touchdowns in 48 games.

He was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills but was placed on IR for his rookie season with a hamstring injury and then released in August 2024.

Shorter was signed to the active roster of the Raiders last November and in those 10 games, he primarily saw action on special teams, recording no receptions.

Cooper, 31, had 44 receptions for 547 yards and four touchdowns last season in 14 games with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills. All three categories were a career low for Cooper. He totaled 711 catches for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns in 154 career games (143 starts).

–Field Level Media

Dec 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) catches a pass against Los Angeles Rams cornerback Darious Williams (24) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Report: WR Amari Cooper informs Raiders he’s retiring

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper informed the Las Vegas Raiders that he has decided to retire after 10 seasons, NFL Network reported on Thursday.

The news comes on the heels of Cooper telling reporters, “Trust me, I still have some juice left,” last week after signing a one-year contract with the organization that made him the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Cooper, 31, played for the then-Oakland Raiders from 2015-18 before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys during the 2018 season. He was traded two more times (to the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills) before becoming a free agent following the 2024 season.

He had 44 receptions for 547 yards and four touchdowns last season in 14 games with the Browns and Bills. All three categories were a career low for Cooper.

Cooper totaled 711 catches for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns in 154 career games (143 starts).

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) turns up field after making a catch in the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Reports: WR Amari Cooper signing 1-year deal with Raiders

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Veteran free agent wide receiver Amari Cooper is signing a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to multiple media reports Monday.

Cooper, 31, is returning to the organization that made him the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Cooper played for the Oakland Raiders from 2015 to 2018, before being traded to Dallas during the 2018 season. He was traded two more times (to Cleveland and then Buffalo) before becoming a free agent following the 2024 season.

He had 44 receptions for 547 yards and four touchdowns last season in 14 games with the Browns and Bills. All three categories were a career low for Cooper.

The five-time Pro Bowler enters the Raiders organization just hours after the team received a trade request from fellow receiver Jakobi Meyers.

Meyers is entering the final year of his contract and has reportedly been trying to renegotiate his deal with the club.

–Field Level Media

Dec 22, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) turns up field after making a catch in the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Bills WR Amari Cooper (personal reasons) ruled out vs. Patriots

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Buffalo wide receiver Amari Cooper has been ruled out for Sunday’s game at the New England Patriots and didn’t travel with the team after being excused for a personal family matter, the team announced Saturday.

Cooper, 30, has started four of eight games that he’s played with Buffalo since he was traded from Cleveland on Oct. 15 along with a 2025 sixth-round pick for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round selection.

He has 20 receptions on 32 targets for 297 yards and two touchdowns with the Bills. Cooper started six games for the Browns and had 24 catches for 250 yards and two TDs.

A five-time Pro Bowl selection including last season, Cooper has 711 career receptions for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns in 154 games (143 starts) for the Oakland Raiders (2015-18), Dallas Cowboys (2018-21), Browns (2022-24) and Bills.

The Raiders picked Cooper fourth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Alabama.

Buffalo elevated offensive lineman Will Clapp and defensive end Casey Toohill from the practice squad to the active roster on Saturday.

The Bills (13-3) already have clinched the AFC East title and a home game in the first round of the playoffs, while the Patriots (3-13) are concluding their season.

–Field Level Media

Nov 3, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) makes a catch against the Miami Dolphins in the third quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Bills’ Dalton Kincaid out, Amari Cooper questionable vs. Chiefs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid has been ruled out for Sunday’s showdown with the visiting Kansas City Chiefs due to a knee injury.

Bills coach Sean McDermott also announced on WGR 550 Friday that wide receiver Amari Cooper (wrist) and right tackle Spencer Brown (ankle) will be listed as questionable.

Kincaid sustained an ankle injury in Buffalo’s 30-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday.

Dawson Knox and Quintin Morris will see additional playing time in place of Kincaid, who has recorded 34 catches for 356 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games (seven starts) this season.

Kincaid, 25, has 107 receptions for 1,029 yards and four TDs in 26 career games since being selected by the Bills with the 23rd overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Cooper, 30, has missed the team’s last two games since injuring his wrist in Buffalo’s 31-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 27.

The five-time Pro Bowl wideout has 29 catches for 319 yards and three touchdowns in eight games (seven starts) split between the Cleveland Browns and Bills this season.

Brown, 27, has started all 10 games in which he has played this season for Buffalo.

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) runs with the ball after making a catch against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Bills WR Amari Cooper (wrist) out vs. Colts

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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper is inactive for Sunday’s game against the host Indianapolis Colts due to an injury to his left wrist.

Cooper, who was listed as questionable, also sat out Buffalo’s 30-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins last Sunday.

The Bills (7-2) on Friday announced they’d be without rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman, who did not participate in practice this week after injuring his wrist against Miami.

KJ Hamler also is out, leaving Buffalo with Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins as the likely targets among the team’s wideouts.

Fullback Reggie Gilliam, linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio and guard/center Will Clapp also are inactive for Buffalo.

As for the Colts (4-5), they listed wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Anthony Gould, defensive end Genard Avery, quarterback Sam Ehlinger, defensive tackle Adam Gotsis and safety Darren Hall as inactive.

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) runs with the ball after making a catch against Tennessee Titans linebacker Ernest Jones IV (53) during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Bills WR Keon Coleman (wrist) out vs. Colts

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman will not play Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, head coach Sean McDermott announced.

Coleman did not participate in practice this week after sustaining a wrist injury during the latter stages of the Bills’ 30-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins last Sunday.

“It’s probably going to be more than this week,” McDermott said Friday on WGR 550. “It’s probably going to be multiple weeks. I just don’t know how far into the future it’ll go.”

Replays showed Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer’s helmet smashing into Coleman’s right wrist or forearm on a deep pass attempt from Josh Allen. Poyer was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play and Coleman left the game. Buffalo’s drive ended with a game-winning 61-yard field goal by Tyler Bass.

Fellow wideout Amari Cooper also is nursing a wrist injury for the Bills (7-2).

Coleman had just one catch for 21 yards against the Dolphins. He ranks second on the team with 417 yards on 22 catches and shares the team lead with three touchdown receptions.

Buffalo drafted Coleman in the second round (33rd overall) out of Florida State in 2024.

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) runs with the ball after making a catch against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Amari Cooper out, Von Miller back for Bills

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Recently acquired wide receiver Amari Cooper is among the Buffalo Bills who were ruled out of their game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y.

Cooper is dealing with an injury to his left wrist that he sustained in last week’s win over the Seattle Seahawks. He had been listed as questionable.

Also out for the Bills (6-2) are defensive backs Christian Benford and Mike Edwards, linebacker Nick Morrow, fullback Reggie Gilliam, offensive lineman Will Clapp and defensive tackle Zion Logue.

Linebacker Von Miller, who served a suspension the past four games, is active.

For the Dolphins (2-5), the inactives Sunday are running back Jeff Wilson Jr., tight end Julian Hill, defensive lineman Zach Sieler, offensive lineman Andrew Meyer, and defensive backs Jevon Holland, Storm Duck and Kader Kohou.

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Tennessee Titans cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (29) tackles Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) after he made a catch during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Bills’ Amari Cooper looks to make impact vs. Seahawks

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Just think what Amari Cooper could do for the Buffalo Bills with a full week of practice.

Cooper, acquired in the middle of last week from Cleveland, had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in his debut with Buffalo last Sunday.

He will look to improve on those numbers after a full week of working out with quarterback Josh Allen before the AFC East-leading Bills (5-2) travel to Seattle to meet the NFC West-best Seahawks (4-3) on Sunday.

“It was just another day at the office at the wide receiver position,” said Cooper, a five-time Pro Bowl selection who is in his 10th season in the NFL.

Just having Cooper on the field was of benefit to Allen, who threw for 323 yards in a 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday after averaging just 193 through the first six games of the season with a patchwork receiving corps.

“Guys of (Cooper’s) caliber, they don’t need a lot,” Allen said. “They go out there, give him a clear mind, let him go play. That’s what he did out there a couple of times, just finding zones, finding windows … just the professionalism that he has, the ability that he has, just trusting what I see with him, and things will turn out pretty good.”

Bills coach Sean McDermott marveled at what Cooper was able to do with only four practices behind him.

“It’s good to have (Cooper) here,” McDermott said. “He made an impact in just four days, really, four teachable, learnable days. And then to come out on day five here and execute like he did was impressive.”

It was the second win in a row for the Bills, whose plus-63 point differential is second only to Washington’s plus-66.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, snapped a three-game skid with a 34-14 victory last Sunday at Atlanta.

Running back Kenneth Walker III, celebrating his 24th birthday, overcame flu-like symptoms to rush for 69 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a 17-yard scoring strike from Geno Smith.

“He was sick, man,” said Smith, who passed for 207 yards and two TDs. “Two touchdowns on his birthday, that was sick. I thought he did a great job. Obviously, he was under the weather. A little bit of his ‘flu game’ today on his birthday. I think that’s spectacular.”

Walker credited the team’s training staff for helping him stay hydrated.

“I felt fatigued,” Walker said. “I feel like just everything was kind of hard. Being sick, but we got the W, so it’s all good.”

The Seahawks might be without star receiver DK Metcalf, who sustained a Grade 1 strain of the medial collateral ligament in his knee against Atlanta.

“We know DK,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “He’s going to probably do anything humanly possible to play in this game, I’d imagine. And we’ll assess it as the week unfolds here.”

In addition to Metcalf, Walker (illness) has missed practice time this week, as has defensive end Leonard Williams (knee) and cornerbacks Tre Brown (ankle) and Nehemiah Pritchett (ankle).

The Bills have five players who have missed practice time this week: wide receiver Curtis Samuel (pectoral), tight end Dawson Knox (ankle), defensive linemen DaQuan Jones (foot) and Dawuane Smoot (groin), and linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle/pec).

–Field Level Media

Dec 24, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Browns WR Amari Cooper (heel) out vs. Jets

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Four days after one of the best games of his career, wide receiver Amari Cooper will sit out when the Cleveland Browns face the visiting New York Jets on Thursday.

Cooper had been bothered by a heel injury and did not practice during the short week. He was officially considered questionable entering the day, but he was on the list when the Browns declared their inactives 90 minutes before kickoff.

Cooper caught 11 passes for a career-high and franchise-record 265 yards to go with two touchdowns in Sunday’s 36-22 win over the Houston Texans. He had a 53-yard reception on the first play of the game and later scored on a 75-yard catch.

The Browns will be missing a four-time Pro Bowler who has recorded a career-best 1,250 receiving yards in his ninth season in the league and his second in Cleveland. Thursday will be Cooper’s first time missing a game in two years with the Browns.

The Browns also made kicker Dustin Hopkins (left hamstring) and punter Corey Bojorquez (left quad) inactive. They are set to roll with Riley Patterson at kicker and Matt Haack at punter after elevating both specialists from the practice squad to the active roster.

The Jets made veteran wide receiver Allen Lazard inactive due to an illness. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein, who was being monitored for right quad tightness, is active.

–Field Level Media