WR Amari Cooper rejoins Raiders on one-year deal
A decade after being drafted by the Raiders, Amari Cooper is returning to the Silver and Black.
The five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, who was selected fourth overall by the Raiders in 2015, has signed a one-year deal worth $3.5 million, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. The contract includes a maximum value of $6 million with $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses and $2 million in incentives. The team officially announced the signing Tuesday.
Cooper’s return comes just hours after reports surfaced that fellow wide receiver Jakobi Meyers had requested a trade following stalled contract negotiations with Las Vegas.
After sitting atop Gregg Rosenthal’s Top 101 free agents list during multiple waves of free agency, Cooper has finally found a landing spot. The 31-year-old veteran will now suit up for his third team in two years, having split the 2024 season between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.
Veteran Leadership for a New-Look Raiders Offense
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Cooper rejoins a Raiders team that looks dramatically different from the one he left. Now under head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek, the franchise is counting on Cooper’s experience to anchor a young receiving corps.
Tight end Brock Bowers is expected to be quarterback Geno Smith’s top target, while the Raiders’ wide receiver depth chart features rookies Jack Bech, Dont’e Thornton Jr., and Tommy Mellott, alongside second-year speedster Tre Tucker. Cooper will be relied upon not only as a playmaker but also as a mentor for the team’s younger talent.
A Decade of Production
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Cooper brings 10 seasons of experience, 154 career games, and 143 starts to Las Vegas. He began his career with the Raiders before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, then to Cleveland in 2022, and finally to Buffalo in 2024. Over his career, he has amassed 711 receptions, 10,033 yards, and 64 touchdowns.
Last season was his least productive, with 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns across 14 games split between the Browns and Bills. However, Cooper is only one year removed from a Pro Bowl season in 2023 when he posted a career-high 1,250 receiving yards with Cleveland.
With his return to Las Vegas, the Raiders are banking on Cooper’s veteran presence and proven ability to elevate their passing game.