While things may look cloudy at this moment with the Cleveland Browns and their No. 1 wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Cooper is in the middle of a holdout from the Browns after not showing up to mandatory minicamp. The Pro Bowl wideout is in the last year of his current contract and wants a new deal after seeing all of the recent wideout deals get handed out across the NFL.
Even with the current state of things, one NFL analyst believes that Cooper can challenge the season-receiving record in the NFL. Calvin Johnson’s record of 1,964 receiving yards in a season back in 2012 and it has been challenged in recent years.
“I believe Cooper is poised to shatter records as the Browns’ No. 1 receiver. The five-time Pro Bowler has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with multiple quarterbacks throwing the ball around the Dawg Pound since his arrival in 2022. With Deshaun Watson back at the helm as the team’s QB1 in a new offense directed by Ken Dorsey, the ball should head in Cooper’s direction early and often as the go-to guy in the passing game.” - Bucky Brooks, NFL Network
Brooks points to the fact that Watson has not yet had a full season with Watson as the quarterback of the Browns. Watson played in just 12 games over the last two seasons and Cooper has 2,410 yards in 32 games while in Cleveland. He had to get it done with multiple quarterbacks during his Browns’ tenure and he’s been able to do that.
Now, the plan is that Watson can stay on the field and the two can build a connection that we have not fully been able to see as of yet. Cooper has other weapons around him like Jerry Jeudy, David Njoku, and Elijah Moore that will help him take the load off.
Josh Gordon holds the season record for yards by a receiver with 1,646 yards back in the 2013 NFL season. Cooper is currently third with the 1,250 he put up last head.
If Cooper can challenge the NFL receiving record at 30 years old, it is going to mean big things for the Cleveland offense.
