The Cleveland Browns have a miserable salary cap situation entering the offseason, which has led to some speculation that the team could look to cut wide receiver Amari Cooper to save some money.
Cooper is slated to earn $20 million in base salary next season and will count $23.8 million against the cap. But Browns fans need not worry: Cooper doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, according to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com.
“I keep hearing from some fans and media members that the Browns may cut Amari Cooper because of salary cap problems,” Pluto wrote. “I checked with a top NFL source, and the Browns have no intention of letting Amari Cooper leave — I mean, ZERO.”
Releasing Cooper wouldn’t make too much sense.
Typically, teams only cut players when they aren’t being productive or when they think there is an adequate replacement on the roster.
When it comes to Cooper, neither of those things are the case.
The 29-year-old is coming off of a terrific 2023 campaign in which he hauled in 72 receptions for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns en route to his fifth Pro Bowl selection.
Cleveland initially acquired Cooper in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys back in March 2022. He enjoyed a great debut season with the Browns, as well, catching 78 passes for 1,160 yards and nine scores.
Cooper, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was originally selected by the Oakland Raiders with the fourth overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the Raiders before being dealt to the Cowboys midway through the 2018 campaign.
Amari Cooper has posted 1,000 yards in seven of his nine seasons.
Cleveland went 11-6 and lost to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs this past year.
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