Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper rarely shows emotion and doesn’t view the opener against the Dallas Cowboys — his former team — as a “revenge” game.
Cooper spent three-plus seasons with the Cowboys, going over 1,000 yards in two of those campaigns. Dallas traded Cooper to the Browns in 2022 for just a fifth-round pick. It was a salary dump by the Cowboys but the Browns got a No. 1 receiver out of the deal and it’s paid huge dividends.
Sunday’s matchup will mark the first time Cooper has played against the Cowboys since the trade. However, he maintains that revenge isn’t on his mind.
“I’m not a very emotional person, so no,” Cooper said on Thursday, September 5. “It’s been a couple years now. I think it probably would’ve been more emotional had it been sooner.”
Cooper has led the Browns during both his seasons in Cleveland. He’s caught 150 passes for 2,410 yards and 14 touchdowns in 32 games. Cooper is coming off one of the best years of his career. He was named to the Pro Bowl after snagging 72 passes for a career-high 1,250 yards and five touchdowns.
Amari Cooper Not Bothered by Trade Rumors
Cooper was the Raiders’ No. 4 overall pick in 2015. He was traded to the Cowboys and then to the Browns. Cooper’s name was involved in trade rumors once again this offseason, but he seemed unbothered.
“I don’t think I ever really had to learn because I don’t think it’s something to be taken personal,” Cooper said. “At the end of the day, you might be traded away from one team. It’s all about how you perceive things. Life is about perception, because in regards to trades, yeah, you’re trading away from one team, but you’re being accepted into another team. So I just kind of look at it as that’s how the business was arranged.”
The Browns attempted to trade for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. With rumors at their peak, Cooper made a cryptic post on Instagram that read: “lol I wouldn’t mind.” He wouldn’t confirm that the post was about the trade rumors, although it seemed fairly clear.
“Hey, I mean, the media is all about sensationalism,” Cooper said, “so I’ll let y’all have fun with whatever y’all thought that might’ve meant.”
Amari Cooper Has No Update on Long-Term Future With Browns
Cooper is entering the final year of his contract and held out for a new deal during minicamp. He didn’t get an extension but the Browns guaranteed his original $20 million base salary and tacked on $5 million through incentives.
Cooper’s goal was to secure his long-term future, which the restructure didn’t do. He’ll be a free agent next offseason. Cooper didn’t have an update on his contract situation.
“I haven’t really been in contact with my agent about any negotiations,” Cooper said. “I understand that, at the end of the day, you just got to play good football. That’s all that matters.”
Cooper will get his first chance to impress against the Cowboys on Sunday in front of a home crowd.
