The Cleveland Browns came up short in their Week 3 comeback attempt against the New York Giants on Sunday and also watched one of their key playmakers go down with a late-game injury.
What happened to Amari Cooper in Week 3? Here’s the latest injury update on Cleveland’s WR1.
What Happened to Browns WR Amari Cooper?
Cooper went down on the second-to-last play of the Browns’ 21-15 loss to the Giants. He took a hard fall after laying out for a pass on 3rd-and-4 with 2:33 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Fortunately, Cooper left the field under his own power. However, he wasn’t allowed to stay in the game for Cleveland’s ensuing fourth-down play.
Browns WR Amari Cooper was helped off the field after landing hard on this play at the end of the game.pic.twitter.com/AcHT1NG1X7
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 22, 2024
The Browns failed to convert on that fourth-down play and never saw the ball again. It’s unclear if Cooper would’ve returned to action had Cleveland’s offense received another opportunity.
The Browns didn’t announce an update on Cooper’s injury.
However, Cooper told reporters that he’s “good” during his postgame media session.
Cooper hauled in seven of Deshaun Watson’s 21 completions for 86 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants. Week 3 represented a step forward for Cooper, who’d posted just five catches for 27 scoreless yards in Cleveland’s first two games.
Jerry Jeudy, who saw seven targets on Sunday, would earn more opportunities were Cooper to miss time. Fellow wideouts Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman would also be bumped up the Browns’ pecking order.
Cleveland is already without tight end David Njoku, who hasn’t played since suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 1.
Fantasy Implications of Cooper’s Injury
Cooper’s Week 3 performance was a good example of what his season figures to look like in an offense that lacks consistency. He scored on the Browns’ first play from scrimmage before going invisible until the fourth quarter.
Cooper finished with a 7-86-2 stat line, a great performance for those who started him. But after he landed hard, his status moving forward is unknown.
This is a simple situation — it’s Cooper or nothing among Cleveland’s receivers. Jeudy would fill in as the WR1 and project to lead this team in targets, but you need not worry about him when it comes to starting lineups.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe