Back in July, the Browns restructured Cooper’s contract, giving him a $5 million raise this season while converting $20 million of his salary into a guaranteed signing bonus, which makes the star receiver exponentially easier to trade.
As the November 5 NFL trade deadline nears, Cooper says he hasn’t been aware of his name being tossed around in rumors.
“No, I’m not aware of it, no,” Cooper told reporters.
Cooper has been a bright spot for the Browns’ wildly inconsistent offense, catching 16 passes for 148 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the first four weeks of the season, also having a big play negated by a penalty, so it isn’t surprising that teams across the league have been showing interest in adding him.
However, the 31-year-old is trying to tune out the noise and speculation.
“Usually if I don’t have a good game, I try to stay off of social media,” Cooper said. “That’s one thing that I’ve learned, because I can be kind of sensitive about the way that I play, and just being on social media, there’s nothing about hiding that. So no, I haven’t seen any of it.”
Which NFL Teams Could Trade For Amari Cooper?
If the Browns intend to deal Cooper before the deadline, he would probably have a robust market.
The Kansas City Chiefs make a lot of sense as a destination, given that star wide receiver Rashee Rice will miss at least the next four games, on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury, and Marquise “Hollywood Brown” could be out for the regular season, if not longer.
Likewise, if the Browns are comfortable trading Cooper within the division, the Pittsburgh Steelers are actively in the receiver market looking to add another weapon opposite George Pickens.