That was fast.
Amari Cooper signed with the Las Vegas Raiders nine days ago for a reunion with his former team. But on Thursday, he decided to retire, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
It's a surprising move, one no one necessarily saw coming.
There had been fake reports this offseason of a Cooper retirement, but those didn't appear based in any fact. It seemed the free agent was just taking his time to find the best destination.
But it turns out maybe he wasn't so sure about his football future.
And now, at 31 years old, he's calling it a career.
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Why did Amari Cooper retire?
Amari Cooper retired rather than play for the Raiders, who he signed with on Aug. 26.
"Cooper had signed at the end of camp in a hopeful reunion with the team that drafted," Rapoport wrote on X. "Now, he’s headed home from Las Vegas."
Earlier this week, Cooper was only given a backup spot on the Raiders' unofficial depth chart for Week 1, which may have signaled his chances of contributing this season.
There isn't any immediate further insight into Cooper's retirement, but clearly he decided it was time.
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Amari Cooper stats
Cooper is a five-time Pro Bowler.
He came into the league as the No. 4 overall pick in 2015 out of Alabama, and he immediately shone brightly for the Raiders.
Cooper spent four seasons with Oakland, then was traded to the Cowboys, where he starred for four more seasons.
Since then, Cooper spent three seasons in Cleveland (including two 1,000-yard campaigns there, too).
He was traded midway through the 2024 season to the Bills.
Cooper played eight games for Buffalo and caught 20 passes for 297 yards and two TDs.
He finishes his career with 711 catches for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns.
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