The Buffalo Bills have plenty of expensive decisions to make whether it be extending draft picks, signing new free agents, or bringing back guys on expiring deals.
One of the key decisions the front office staff has to make is whether to bring back Amari Cooper. After trading a third round pick for him, they were able to get him to Buffalo where he secured 24 receptions for 297 yards and two touchdowns despite missing three games.
As Cooper is older, the team needs to be smart with cap space but make sure they give Josh Allen all the weapons he can get.
One of the tough decisions every year during free agency is who to bring back and who to let walk. The discussion below looks at Amari Coopef injury history and market value heading into the 2025 season.
Injury History
2015 Oakland Raiders
Quadriceps injury, Week 10, missed 0 games.
Cooper suffered a right quad contusion from S Mike Mitchell in the third quarter forcing him to miss several snaps. He was limited in practice but missed zero games.
Foot injury, Week 13, missed 0 games.
Cooper dealt with plantar fasciitis for the last month of the season.
2016 Raiders
Back injury, Week 8, missed 0 games.
Cooper suffered a back injury in Week 8 versus Tampa Bay that led to him being limited in practice and ruled questionable for the following two weeks. He also had the bye in between to recover, not missing any games.
Shoulder injury, Week 14, missed 0 games.
Cooper suffered a shoulder injury that lingered the rest of the season leaving him questionable each game including the playoffs.
2017 Raiders
Concussion/Right High-Ankle Sprain, Week 12, missed 1 game.
Cooper suffered both a concussion and a right high-ankle sprain playing against the Denver Broncos in Week 12, forcing him out of the following contest.
Right high-ankle, Week 14, missed 1 game.
Cooper aggravated his high-ankle sprain from Week 12 when he was rolled up again and missed the following week.
2018 Raiders/Dallas Cowboys
No publicly reported injuries.
2019 Cowboys
Left Foot injury, missed most of preseason.
Cooper dealt with another bout of plantar fasciitis according to several reports missing most of the preseason. Other sources indicated that he had an issue with an intrinsic muscle of the foot which can cause similar issues. It’s not clear if this was the same foot from previously.
Right Ankle injury, Week 5, missed 0 games.
Cooper suffered an ankle injury in practice prior to the Week 5 game versus the Green Bay Packers. He did not have a designation for Week 5 or 6 before being ruled questionable in Week 7, suiting up.
Quadriceps injury, Week 6, missed 0 games.
Cooper suffered a quadriceps injury during the third quarter in Week 6 that led to his early exit from that game.
Knee injury, Week 9, missed 0 games.
Cooper suffered a left knee contusion that required an MRI and limited him in practice. The article also stated that he went up for a pass the prior week and came down the wrong way, suggesting more of an issue.
2020 Cowboys
Right ankle surgery, offseason.
Cooper underwent a clean out of his right ankle following the final regular season game of a 6-10 Cowboys season. It’s not clear when he originally injured the ankle.
2021 Cowboys
Bruised Ribs, Week 2, missed 0 games.
Cooper exited late in the game versus the Chargers and did not return after being diagnosed with bruised ribs.
Right Hamstring, Week 4, missed 0 games.
Cooper suffered a right hamstring strain on the third play of the game against the Panthers in Week 4. He kept the massage gun on his thigh to keep the muscle loose in order to keep playing. He was questionable the following week and played.
Right Hamstring, Week 8, missed 0 games.
Cooper aggravated his right hamstring strain against the Vikings in Week 8 and continued to play, helping the team secure the win.
COVID, Week 13, missed 0 games.
Cooper found himself testing positive with COVID prior to the Week 13 matchup against the New Orleans Saints but cleared protocol in time to play that week.
2022 Cleveland Browns
Right Ankle injury, preseason.
Cooper suffered an ankle injury and missed the first day of padded practice as a Cleveland Brown. It’s not clear how long he was out of practice then.
Hip/core muscle injury, Week 13, missed 0 games.
Cooper suffered a hip/core muscle injury against the Houston Texans in Week 13 and was questionable the following week.
Core muscle repair, offseason.
Cooper noted back in December that he was working through a core muscle injury and he underwent a repair in February following the season.
2023 Browns
Groin injury, practice prior to Week 2, missed 0 games.
Cooper aggravated his groin in the Saturday practice before Week 2 and was not expected to play, listed as questionable but suited up.
Shoulder injury, Week 3, missed 0 games.
Ankle injury, Week 7, missed 0 games.
Rib injury, Week 12, missed 0 games.
Cooper took a hard shot to the ribs in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos and left the game early.
Concussion, Week 13, missed 0 games.
Cooper left the game in the second quarter after taking a shot to the head.
Heel injury, Week 16, missed 2 games.
Cooper suffered a heel injury versus the Houston Texans in Week 16 before missing the final two games and returning for the playoffs.
2024 Browns/Buffalo Bills
Left wrist injury, Week 8, missed 2 games.
Cooper fell and landed on his left wrist during a routine run but finished the game. He was forced to miss the next two games and wear a cast for two months when he played.
Injury Concerns
Many of the injury concerns highlighted when he signed were of minimal concern despite the volume of injuries. Prior to getting traded to Buffalo, he had missed only four games in his career. Unfortunately, as soon as he got here, he missed the two games due to the wrist injury and one game due to a personal matter.
I had discussed during the season what Cooper may have been dealing with, which was possibly a triangular fibrocartilage complex tear (TFCC). This is several pieces of tissue and cartilage that provide support to the radius and ulna on the pinky side of the wrist.
He likely dealt with pain, clicking, and weakened grip strength as he played through the injury. He was forced to wear a hard cast on the area to protect the wrist during games and at one point was recommended to have surgery to repair the damage.
It’s not clear whether Cooper has since had surgery but it’s common to delay surgery until after the season with average time from injury to surgery is at 5.6 months. Surgery would involve either cleaning out the torn tissue, possible suturing of the tissue and in some cases, shaving down the distal ulna to even out the length and reduce pinching in the wrist. We don’t know what the specifics of Cooper’s injury is but rehab for this takes roughly two to three months to return to sport.
There isn’t a lot of literature that’s easily accessible for return to play on high level athletics but the information available indicates excellent outcomes for return to activity especially in tennis and golf. I would argue that if you can return to high level play in those wrist dominant sports, then football should have a solid outcome as well. There are some complications including residual instability or nerve paresthesia. The outlook for Cooper following his wrist injury is favorable and shouldn’t be a deterrent for him to continue his career.
Drawbacks
His major drawbacks are his age and what it may cost to retain him. He will be entering his age-31 season in 2025 and coming off career lows in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Is that more related to the dumpster fire that Cleveland is and adjusting to Buffalo’s offense or is he beginning to slip? That’s the concern when signing a new contract.
He has had a long history of injuries that he has played through but one has to wonder when that begins to catch up to him.
Market Value
According to Spotrac, Cooper could command a salary of $14.2 million APY. Over the Cap has Cooper at just under $5 million APY. This is a paycut of the $20 million he was making on his last contract with Dallas and Cleveland. While Cooper has been one of the elite wide receivers over his career, that price seems rich for declining production.
The Bills did pay Curtis Samuel $8 million a season for what little production he was able to achieve which means Cooper could still command a decent salary. I don’t believe the Bills will have Cooper sign at the Over the Cap valuation, but he also won’t get the Spotrac valuation either. If the Bills do bring him back, it’ll be on at a decent price but ideally short contract. The idea of paying a contract in excess of $10 million appears insane, but when the ceiling of wide receivers is $35 million/year, the floor rises which indicates the cost of doing business.
Stay or Leave
I’m in favor of Cooper staying knowing how much he wants to win a Super Bowl and how much he is a team player. This is a player that can command a lot more money on the open market but he’s made plenty in his career. If his team and the Bills can find an acceptable number, then he’s worth re-signing.
Final Thoughts
Cooper isn’t what he once was, but he still has some left in the tank. With his veteran leadership and team first approach, he could be a key part of what the Bills do in the short term. I hope to see him in a Bills uniform in 2025.
Top Photo Credit: USA Today
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