This season, the Dallas Cowboys are 6-6-1, and that is not the fault of their offense. They have one of the best offenses in the league, and that is because of wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, who are one of, if not the best, duos in the league.
Before Lamb and Pickens, there was another wide receiver who symbolized being a Cowboy, and that player was none other than Amari Cooper. Here’s what happened to Cooper and what the receiver is up to now.
What Happened to Amari Cooper?
With the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the (at the time) Oakland Raiders selected Cooper out of the University of Alabama. At Alabama, he finished with 228 receptions, 3463 receiving yards, and 31 touchdowns in three seasons. In his final season, he led college wide receivers in receptions with 124, yards with 1727, and touchdowns with 16.
Cooper became an instant threat to opposing defenses. In his rookie year with the Raiders, he caught 72 passes for 1070 yards and six touchdowns. In total, he spent about the first three and a half years with the Raiders before being traded to the Cowboys for the Cowboys’ 2019 first-round pick.
With the Cowboys, Cooper caught 292 passes for 3,893 yards and scored 27 touchdowns in 56 career games for the team. According to PFSN’s NFL WRi, his best season with the Cowboys was 2019. That season, he ranked 21st in the league with a letter grade of B-. In 16 games, he caught 79 passes for 1189 yards and eight touchdowns.
Following the 2021 season, Cooper was on the move again, this time to the Cleveland Browns. In exchange, the Browns sent the Cowboys their 2022 fifth-round pick and swapped 2022 sixth-round picks for Cooper. He also ranked highest in PFSN’s WRi in his first year with the Browns, ranking 20th league-wide. That season, he caught 78 passes for 1160 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games.
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Yet again, Cooper was on the move after being traded to the Buffalo Bills after two and a half seasons with the Browns. The Bills received Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick. Cooper only played in eight games with the Bills, catching 32 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns.
Following the 2024 season, Cooper returned to the Raiders as a free agent on a one-year deal. However, only a few days later, Cooper announced his retirement, stating that he no longer had a desire to play football.
He finished his career with 711 receptions, 10,033 yards, and 64 touchdowns in 154 career games played.
