The Cleveland Browns and Amari Cooper have agreed to a restructured contract, and the star pass-catcher will report to training camp.
Under the new deal, the $20 million Cooper had left on his contract is guaranteed. He’s also getting a $5 million raise through incentives, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Half of Cooper’s guaranteed money will come in the form of a signing bonus.
Cooper will still be able to enter free agency next offseason. After agreeing to the new terms, Cooper has reported for training camp in Berea. Cooper held out of the mandatory minicamp and did not participate in voluntary OTAs.
The move is a good short-term solution for both sides. Cooper gets a well-deserved raise, which he sought after watching wide receiver contracts around the league skyrocket this offseason. The Browns have their top pass-catcher locked in and he’ll be hungry to post another Pro Bowl-caliber season with free agency on the horizon.
The Browns opted not to give Cooper, 30, a multiyear extension. They’ll be able to revisit that next offseason with another year of production to consider. But the Browns might have difficulty keeping him around if it’s anything like his last two.
Cooper is coming off one of the best years of his career. He caught 72 passes for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns. He caught 78 passes for 1,160 the year prior and added nine touchdowns.
Amari Cooper Has Support of Browns QB Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson is likely the person in the Browns’ facility who is the most excited about Cooper being locked in for next season. Watson had vocally supported Cooper during his contract negotiations.
“He’s the best in the game,” Watson said of Cooper in June. “I believe that he shows it each and every year. He’s shown it the last two years with different quarterbacks, so I think you’ve got to put him up there if not the best.”
Watson recently hinted that he and Cooper had met up at some point this offseason to get some work in. The Browns quarterback came away impressed.
“The connection’s been awesome,” Watson said on July 17. “Me and Amari have been, even with all of the other guys, it’s not like he missed a beat. Amari’s always been there. We know what he can do. He’s been showing that and he’s shown that over the offseason and yeah, the brotherhood, the love, the communication, none of that stuff has missed a beat at all.”
Browns Added Jerry Jeudy Alongside Amari Cooper
The Browns bolstered their wide receiver corps this offseason with a trade for former first-round pick Jerry Jeudy. Cleveland inked Jeudy to a three-year extension worth up to $52.5 million shortly after trading for him in March.
The Broncos selected him No. 15 overall in 2020. He has notched 3,053 yards on 211 catches with 11 touchdowns in his career. His best year came in 2022, posting career-highs with 67 catches for 972 yards and six touchdowns.
A big part of Jeudy’s excitement about playing for the Browns is being able to team up with Cooper.
“It means a lot,” Jeudy said. “In my time at Bama, I got a chance to catch up with Amari and become close friends with him. That’s a guy that I’ve been modeling my game after for a long time and been watching him since I was young. So, being able to play alongside him it’s going to be exciting.”
The Browns will open the regular season on September 8 against the Dallas Cowboys — Cooper’s former team.
