Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Amari Cooper makes shocking career decision

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Derek Hegna | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 3:29 PM ET

The Amari Cooper reunion tour with the Las Vegas Raiders is over before it even had the chance to begin.

On Thursday, Ian Rapoport reported that Cooper is officially retiring from the NFL, citing that he no longer had the desire to play.

Comeback no more: #Raiders WR Amari Cooper has informed the team that he no longer has the desire to play and intends to retire, per The Insiders.

Cooper had signed at the end of camp in a hopeful reunion with the team that drafted. Now, he’s headed home from Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/jEZHPHBPBq

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 4, 2025

It is unclear as to why Cooper felt this way just a week after signing with the Raiders, but it is a blow to a team that is already lacking veteran presences in their receiver room.

Cooper was signed as an insurance policy for Jakobi Meyers after his own trade request, but the Raiders now are relying on a young receiver corps to get the job done. They could promote from within and sign someone like Alex Bachman or Shedrick Jackson from the practice squad. Veteran free agents such as Kendrick Bourne are also in play, but none of the available options had the upside Cooper had.

With Cooper gone, rookie wide receivers Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech suddenly have a more clear route to playing time early on.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: