Silver And Black Pride
Full circle moments in the NFL are feel-good type moments.
Such is the case for Amari Cooper returning to the Silver & Black. While the wide receiver never played for the Las Vegas variant of the Raiders — he was selected fourth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Oakland version — the 31-year-old talked about having unfinished business as a Raider.
“I always kind of had that in the back of my mind because when I was drafted here, I felt like the expectations were high. I felt like I did okay but always knew why I was drafted. You draft a guy top five, you expect them to come and really help change the organization,” Cooper explained about returning to the Raiders during his media availability on Tuesday. “And I felt like at times, I showed flashes of doing that, but it wasn’t to my expectations. So, like I said, this time around, I feel like I have unfinished business. I definitely see the opportunity working with Geno (Smith) to be able to do some great things, so I’m excited about it.”
By The Numbers
Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver
Cooper, who inked a one-year deal with a $3.5 million base value and can reach $6 million with incentives, was reportedly a sought after veteran commodity. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini noted Cooper decided to sign with Las Vegas over the likes of a receiver-needy team like the San Francisco 49ers.
But with any feel-good story in the NFL, excitement can be fleeting. Because often times, the jarring jolt of reality can set in and torpedo all the kumbaya moments — savagely so. Thus, expectations for a veteran wideout north of age 30 should be tempered.
But that doesn’t mean Cooper can’t help Las Vegas’ offense that showcases a new starting quarterback (Geno Smith), an intriguing rookie running back (Ashton Jeanty, selected sixth overall in the 2025 draft), and second-year start tight end Brock Bowers, alongside new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
After experiencing the least productive season of his 10-year career in 2024, Cooper is eager to prove he’s every bit a capable pass catcher at age 31. At 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds, the Alabama product brings ample size and speed in his 11th season and he believes joining Pete Carroll’s Raiders will help showcase he still has “it”.
“Really just two things: One, winning and two, the opportunity to show what I can still do,” Cooper said when asked what his top priorities were when joining a new team. “I had a few teams hitting me up, but I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to show that ‘Trust me, I still got some juice left,’ so I want to show it. And I felt like this was the opportunity for me to show it.”
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