Raiders’ Biggest Free Agent Mistake This Season

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders had a lot of moving pieces coming into the 2025 NFL season. The Raiders wanted to put together the best roster they could have in 2025. They had a lot to work with, and they came up with the plan to do what they needed to get this team going.

The Raiders brought in a new regime for the 2025 season as well. The Raiders hired new general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll to kick start the process of getting the Raiders heading in the right direction.

The process went from bringing in free agents to the 2025 NFL Draft to bringing in the remaining pieces that were missing once the team got to training camp. For the most part, Spytek and Carroll made the right moves this offseason, leading into the season. But there was one move that was not necessarily bad, but the way it ended for the Silver and Black was not the result that they wanted. And this move was a bad one for the team leading up to the season.

The Raiders had signed veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper to a one-year deal just a couple of weeks before they were set to open up the season. Everything seems to be good on both ends. Cooper was returning to the team that drafted him, and he was going to be part of the offense going forward. Until it was not going to happen. Cooper returned to the Silver and Black did not even last because he retired before the season started.

Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated said that the Raiders' signing of Cooper was the worst free agent signing for the Raiders this offseason.

Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders/retired

Contract: One year, $3.5 million

Cooper waited until August to sign with a team, but his return to the Raiders lasted fewer than two weeks. Initially, it didn’t seem Cooper’s sudden retirement was going to hurt the Raiders, but they could have used him, given that star tight end Brock Bowers has struggled to make an impact since his Week 1 knee injury.

Cooper would of been a good and huge help to this offseason. But maybe it was just that time for Cooper to call it a career. Cooper felt like he still had something to give in his football career and maybe his body was telling him otherwise.

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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