Silver Minings: Amari Cooper was unimpressive in practice before retirement

The Las Vegas Raiders got Raider Nation excited last week with the signing of Amari Cooper. Cooper was drafted by the Raiders fourth overall in 2015 and had two 1000-yard seasons during his tenure.

That all changed on Thursday when Cooper decided he would retire and not suit for the Silver and Black. It was a shocker to Raider fans and the coaches who expected the former Blintenkoff winner to help the football team.

One of the main reasons for Cooper’s retirement was his fall on the depth chart. According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, Cooper wasn’t impressive in practice, which could have played a factor in his decision.

Kelly added that the team hadn’t decided on whether Cooper would play in Sunday’s season opener against the New England Patriots and planned to wait until Saturday to finalize the gameday roster.

It makes sense for Cooper to decide that if he isn’t at his best, it is time to go. He finishes his career with 771 receptions, 10003 yards, and 64 touchdowns.

In other Raiders links:

• Thursday injury report for Week 1: Check out the injury report for the Raiders and New England Patriots
• How to Watch, Listen to, and Livestream the Raiders vs. Patriots: Check out how you can watch the Raiders’ opening game on the road against the Patriots.
• Bucky Brooks’ Scouting Report: Former Raider Bucky Brooks breaks down the matchup against the Patriots for Week 1.