Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper has been the subject of widespread rumors following a disappointing 2021 season.
Earlier this offseason, reports suggested Dallas could look to trade the high-priced wide receiver and attempt to re-sign fellow pass-catcher Michael Gallup in free agency instead.
According to Cowboys vice president and CEO Stephen Jones, no decision has been made on Cooper’s future in Big D. However, the front office head did not come commit to moving forward with Cooper either.
“It’s too early for me to address that yet. We’re continuing to have conversations. A lot of things affect that…moving parts.”
Even after signing Cooper to a five-year, $100 million contract extension back in March of 2020, the Cowboys’ brass had their reservations about the star pass-catcher. This apparently was only magnified last year when Cooper missed two games due to COVID-19 while being unvaccinated, which reports suggest led to a major rift behind the scenes between the former Alabama star and his organization.
Will the Dallas Cowboys look to trade Amari Cooper?
It seems like things could very well be trending in this direction. Dallas finds itself $21.16 million over the 2022 NFL salary cap. For his part, Cooper is slated to count $22 million against the cap. Dallas can save $16 million by trading the 27-year-old former first-round pick. Cooper’s regression last season could complicate matters.
- Amari Cooper stats (2020): 92 receptions, 1,114 yards, 5 TD, 70.8% catch rate
- Amari Cooper stats (2021): 68 receptions, 965 yards, 8 TD, 65.4% catch rate
With Dallas prioritizing the signing of Gallup ahead of the start of free agency opening next month, Cooper could potentially be the odd-man out. The presence of stud wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is also a factor.
As for a potential trade, any team acquiring Cooper from Dallas would be taking on a $20 million cap hit. That could prove to be a difficult sell for many.
For the Cowboys, moving on from Cooper after just three full seasons would be a bitter pill to swallow. They yielded a first-round pick to the then-Oakland Raiders back in October of 2018 to acquire Cooper.
More must-reads: