BREAKING: Raiders' Amari Cooper Makes Stunning Announcement

September 04, 2025 , , ,
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper runs with the ball during 2024 game.

The Las Vegas Raiders expected Amari Cooper to be part of their 2025 opener against the New England Patriots, but instead the veteran wide receiver has decided to call it a career. 

Just over a week after signing a one-year deal to return to the team that drafted him fourth overall in 2015, Cooper informed head coach Pete Carroll on Thursday morning that he no longer has the desire to play football. 

The decision came as a shock to the organization, with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly calling Cooper “a heck of a football player” who ultimately followed his heart.

Amari Cooper Retires Days After Raiders Reunion

Cooper, 31, leaves the game after 10 productive seasons with the Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and Buffalo Bills. A five-time Pro Bowler, he recorded 711 receptions for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns across 154 games. 

He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards seven times, including a career-high 1,250 yards with the Browns in 2023. His career began in Oakland, where he quickly became a fan favorite by posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons before being dealt to Dallas in 2018.

While Cooper spoke last week about feeling he had “unfinished business” in Las Vegas, his retirement closes the door on what was shaping up to be a full-circle moment. 

His brief return still left an impression on younger Raiders receivers like Dont’e Thornton Jr., who described the experience of sharing a locker room with Cooper as “starstruck.” 

For now, Las Vegas will move forward with a receiving group headlined by Thornton, Jack Bech, Tre Tucker, and Jakobi Meyers.

Photo Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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