Change of plans: Wide receiver Amari Cooper retires days before Raiders' opener

Vincent Bonsignore, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Sep 4, 2025

Published in Football

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The Raiders weren’t necessarily counting on veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper contributing in their season opener against the Patriots on Sunday.

In fact, there was a chance the 31-year-old could have been inactive. He only practiced five times with the team after signing a one-year deal on Aug. 25.

The Raiders were still taken aback Thursday morning when Cooper called coach Pete Carroll to inform him he was retiring. Cooper’s heart was no longer in football, and his body wasn’t ready given he was unsigned through all of training camp.

Cooper, who the Raiders drafted No. 4 overall in 2015 out of Alabama, finishes his career with 711 receptions for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns. He played parts of four seasons for the team before being traded to the Cowboys in 2018. Cooper also played for the Browns and Bills during his 10-year NFL career and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times.

His retirement opens up playing time for some of the Raiders’ younger wide receivers like third-year pro Tre Tucker and rookies Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech. That’s a potential silver lining, but the team was still caught off guard. Cooper’s decision is forcing the Raiders to adjust before their first game.

“I think the world of him,” offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said. “I think he’s a heck of a football player who’s had a heck of an NFL career, but he knows in his heart what he wants to do. So I wish him the best.”

Now what?

Cooper’s loss shouldn’t affect the Raiders too much in the short term. It was unclear if he was going to see the field against New England.

“We hadn’t made any final decisions on (if he) was going to play in the first game or not,” Kelly said.

Long term, it’s a different story. Cooper could have worked his way back into football shape and carved out a role in the Raiders’ offense. Starting quarterback Geno Smith, as recently as Wednesday, believed Cooper would become a contributor.

“He’s a guy who we’re going to look forward to taking advantage of when we get the matchups,” Smith said.

Cooper also would have provided a veteran presence in a young position group. The only veteran wide receiver on the Raiders’ active roster is now Jakobi Meyers, who has requested a trade.

Meyers, 28, said Wednesday he is prepared to play out the season if the team doesn’t move him.

“I’m just gonna keep doing my job until something shakes out either way,” Meyers said.

Cooper’s retirement will likely force the Raiders to rely on Meyers and second-year tight end Brock Bowers in the passing game. The team has high hopes for Tucker, who had an effective training camp. It’ll also need Bech, a second-round pick, and Thornton, a fourth-round pick, to develop fast.

Kelly is confident the Raiders can still be successful because of Smith. Kelly said having a veteran quarterback eases his concerns over the team’s inexperienced receiving corps.

“My comfort level as a coach is that Geno is here,” Kelly said. “I think if you had maybe a bunch of young wideouts and a young guy pulling a trigger, you got a rookie at the running back spot, you know, that’s a little bit different.”

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