Amari Cooper Returns to Raiders: An Emotional Reunion After a Decade

Liputan6.com, Jakarta The Las Vegas Raiders made a significant splash by announcing the return of Amari Cooper, the veteran wide receiver who was their first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

The one-year contract, signed on August 25, 2025, reunites Cooper with a team that has undergone significant changes since his departure.

Amari Cooper's return to the Raiders is well-reasoned, given the trade request from wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who is seeking a new contract.

The contract agreed to between Amari Cooper and the Las Vegas Raiders has a base value of $3.5 million for one season, with the potential to reach $6 million through additional incentives.

WR Amari Cooper returning to Raiders on 1-year deal. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/fJf8z3vuCS

— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2025

Amari Cooper's return to the Las Vegas Raiders on August 25, 2025, was a major highlight in the NFL.

It was a highly anticipated reunion, given that Cooper had been the Raiders' first draft pick a decade earlier.

His one-year, $3.5 million base contract, including $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses, demonstrated the Raiders' confidence in the veteran's abilities, according to ESPN.

His maximum contract potential could reach $6 million with an additional $2 million in incentives.

The decision to bring Cooper back came amid internal team dynamics, particularly a trade request from wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.

Turning 31 in June 2025, Cooper returns to a very different Raiders team than when he left, and in a different role.

Amari Cooper, born on June 17, 1994, in Miami, Florida, began his college football career with Alabama.

While at Alabama, he showed tremendous potential, winning the Biletnikoff Award in 2014 as the nation's top receiver and earning Unanimous All-American honors.

Ultimately, he helped lead Alabama to the BCS National Championship in 2012.

In the 2015 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected Amari Cooper with the fourth overall pick, marking the beginning of his professional career by wearing number 89.

In his 2015 debut, Cooper recorded five receptions for 47 yards.

He even broke the franchise rookie record with eight receptions for 134 yards the following week, leading to his selection to the Pro Bowl in his first season.

Cooper's second season in 2016 was equally solid, earning him a second Pro Bowl berth.

During his initial tenure with the Raiders, from 2015 to 2018, he played in 52 games and recorded 225 receptions for 3,183 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Despite a slight decline in his third season, his early contributions with the Raiders were significant before he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in October 2018.

After being traded to the Dallas Cowboys on October 22, 2018, Amari Cooper's career rebounded.

He stated that a "change of scenery was necessary," and this was evident in his significant performance improvement. With the Cowboys, he racked up 217 yards and was selected to his third Pro Bowl.

Cooper also recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2019.On March 16, 2022, Cooper was traded again, this time to the Cleveland Browns.

With the Browns, he continued his impressive run, recording 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023.

In short, on October 15, 2024, the Browns traded Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills.

He played for the Bills for the remainder of the 2024 season, recording 44 receptions for 547 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games combined with the Bills and Browns.

Throughout his 10-season NFL career, Amari Cooper has earned $136.7 million from his contracts.