It's hard to believe Amari Cooper is already entering his 11th season in the NFL. It might be even harder to believe this is the first time he's ever changed teams in free agency, and the fact that he's returning to his first NFL squad after remaining on the open market until the verge of Week 1.
Cooper spent the few seasons of his career with the Raiders from 2015-18, and while the team was still in Oakland then, the wide receiver is now heading for a reunion with the squad in Las Vegas, per Adam Schefter. From a 2018 trade from the Raiders that landed him in Dallas, to a trade to Cleveland, to a mid-year move to Buffalo in 2024, moving cities has simply become part of the routine for the former No. 4 pick, and Cooper's now heading back to his first squad.
After remaining a free agent through the entirety of training camp and the preseason, Cooper finally has a home for 2025. He'll be seeking to bounce back from a tough 2024 campaign as yet another new addition for the Raiders.
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Here are the details on Cooper's deal with the Raiders and more.
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Amari Cooper contract details
Team: Raiders
Years: 1
Value: TBD
Cooper agreed to a one-year contract with the Raiders on Monday, with the NFL roster cuts deadline looming and Las Vegas being just days away from a Week 1 matchup against the Patriots.
The deal also comes at a particularly interesting time for Las Vegas' wide receiver room. On Monday, multiple reports indicated that top receiver Jakobi Meyers recently requested a trade from the Raiders, seeking a new contract that he and the team could not agree on. Whether Meyers will be dealt remains to be seen, but the addition of Cooper brings veteran insurance behind Meyers either way.
Cooper's deal will reportedly be for just the 2025 season, with the financial details currently unknown. Las Vegas brought in a ton of new faces this offseason in head coach Pete Carroll, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, quarterback Geno Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty, and now, Cooper both reunites with his first NFL team and signifies another new addition to the team's offense.
Cooper has spent some of the best years of his career with the Raiders, being drafted fourth overall by the squad in 2015 before notching two 1,000-yard seasons in his first three-and-a-half-year stint with the team.
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Amari Cooper age
Cooper turned 31 in June, so he could still have a handful of productive years left in the tank despite remaining on the open market for months.
The five-time Pro-Bowler was just 20 when he heard his name called at the 2015 NFL Draft as a selection by the Raiders, which is why he still might seem so young for someone who has been in the league for so long.
In 2025, Cooper will be looking to prove his age wasn't the reason he took a step back last season. With just 547 yards on 44 catches after a terrific 1,250-yard campaign in 2023, Cooper couldn't get it going when he moved from a poor offensive situation in Cleveland to a more high-octane offense in Buffalo.
Cooper hit similar bumps in his first stint with the Raiders and then the Cowboys, but he bounced back each time. If he can bounce back in 2025 as a weapon alongside Jeanty, Meyers, and Brock Bowers, Las Vegas should get great value out of the deal.
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Amari Cooper stats
Season Team Games Rec. Yards TD Y/R
2015 Raiders 16 72 1,070 6 14.9
2016 Raiders 16 83 1,153 5 13.9
2017 Raiders 14 48 680 7 14.2
2018 OAK/DAL 15 75 1,005 7 13.4
2019 Cowboys 16 79 1,189 8 15.1
2020 Cowboys 16 92 1,114 5 12.1
2021 Cowboys 15 68 865 8 12.7
2022 Browns 17 78 1,160 9 14.9
2023 Browns 15 72 1,250 5 17.4
2024 CLE/BUF 14 44 547 4 12.4
Career 154 711 10,033 64 14.1
Cooper posted a career-low 44 catches and 547 yards between the Browns and Bills in 2024, coming in at less than half of his 2023 yardage total.
Still, he's bounced back at multiple points earlier in his career and has more than 10,000 yards to his name along with 64 touchdowns.
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Amari Cooper career earnings
Cooper has earned $136.7 million through NFL contracts through 10 seasons. How much he'll make on his new one-year deal in Las Vegas is unknown.
Cooper first cashed in when he re-signed with the Cowboys on a five-year, $100 million deal in 2020. He played out the entire duration of the contract, albeit with three different teams.