Report: Amari Cooper signing one-year deal with Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders are signing veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper to a one-year deal, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Cooper, 31, was one of the bigger name free agents available.

He returns to the Raiders, who drafted him fourth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. Cooper spent parts of four seasons with the Raiders before being traded midway through the 2018 season to the Dallas Cowboys.

Cooper appeared in 61 games for the Raiders, catching 278 passes for 3,908 yards and 25 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons in the NFL. Cooper has since had successful stints with the Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns, though the 2024 season was a struggle.

He spent the first six games of the season with the Browns, hauling in just 24 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Cleveland traded him to the Buffalo Bills in October. Cooper’s stat line in eight games with the Bills: 20 receptions, 297 yards, two scores.

Cooper, however, is not too far removed from posting a career-high 1,250 yards in 2023. For his career, Cooper has tallied 711 receptions, 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns.

Amari Cooper in, Jakobi Meyers out?

Once he gets into playing shape, he could be a valuable piece to the Raiders’ new-look offense. Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas’ top wideout, requested a trade Monday. Entering the final year of his three-year, $33 million contract, Meyers wants out after failing to reach an agreement with the Raiders on a new deal. According to Rapoport, Las Vegas doesn’t plan on honoring the request with this season still being left on Meyers’ deal.

Behind Meyers, the Raiders are stocked with unproven receiver depth. Tre Tucker is a third-year pro, while Dont’e Thornton and Jack Bech are rookies. So, it makes sense to bring in an experienced player such as Cooper as the organization navigates through the Meyers situation.