Amari Cooper Shockingly Retires at 31, Ending a Stellar 10-Year NFL Career

 

***Las Vegas, NV —*** In a stunning development that has sent ripples through the NFL community, five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver **Amari Cooper** has informed the Las Vegas Raiders of his decision to retire from professional football, just days before the team’s 2025 season opener. The 31-year-old, who recently signed a one-year deal with the Raiders on August 26, abruptly closed the book on a remarkable 10-year career marked by exceptional production and enduring legacy .

## A Sudden Farewell

Cooper’s retirement announcement came through a phone call to Raiders head coach **Pete Carroll** on the morning of September 5, 2025. The timing was particularly surprising given that Cooper had just rejoined the franchise that drafted him fourth overall in 2015 when the team was based in Oakland. Raiders offensive coordinator **Chip Kelly** expressed his disappointment, stating, *”It’s unfortunate because I think he’s a heck of a football player… But he knows in his heart what he wants to do, so I wish him the best”* .

The receiver had previously described his return to the Raiders as a *”full-circle moment,”* and the organization had anticipated him playing a significant role in their Week 1 game plan against the New England Patriots. General manager **John Spytek** had indicated just days earlier that Cooper would have a *”big part”* in the offensive scheme .

## A Career of Accolades and Achievements

Cooper’s career statistics place him among the elite receivers of his era:

| **Category** | **Statistic** |
|————–|—————|
| **Receptions** | 711 |
| **Receiving Yards** | 10,033 |
| **Touchdowns** | 64 |
| **Pro Bowl Selections** | 5 |
| **1000+ Yard Seasons** | 7 |

 

Drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 2015, Cooper immediately made his presence felt by surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons and earning Pro Bowl honors in three of his first four years . His career journey included trades to the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, where he added two more Pro Bowl appearances, and later to the Cleveland Browns in 2022, where he earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection .

His final NFL stop was with the Buffalo Bills, who acquired him from the Browns during the 2024 season. In eight games with Buffalo, Cooper recorded 20 receptions for 297 yards and two touchdowns . Despite diminished production in Buffalo, Cooper maintained a team-first attitude, telling reporters: *”Winning is way more important, and there’s many ways to win… Absolutely no complaints from me, because that’s all I truly wanted. I’ve had it every other way and haven’t really reached the pinnacle of this sport”* .

## Impact on the Raiders

Cooper’s retirement leaves a significant void in the Raiders’ receiving corps. The team had envisioned him playing on the outside while mentoring rookies **Dont’e Thornton Jr.** and Jack Bech . Thornton, a projected starter, expressed his admiration for Cooper, calling it a *”starstruck”* feeling to share the locker room with him and describing Cooper as *”one of the best receivers to ever do it”* .

The Raiders’ wide receiver room now consists of Thornton, Bech, Tre Tucker, and **Jakobi Meyers**, who recently requested a trade due to a contract dispute . The team had signed Cooper shortly after Meyers’ trade request became public, viewing him as valuable insurance. The decision not to trade Meyers now appears prescient given Cooper’s retirement .

## Legacy and Future

Amari Cooper retires with 711 receptions, 10,033 receiving yards, and 64 touchdowns over 154 regular-season games . His career average of 14.1 yards per reception and seven 1,000-yard seasons demonstrate consistent excellence throughout his decade in the league .

While the specific reasons behind Cooper’s sudden retirement remain personal, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Cooper *”informed the Raiders that he no longer had the desire to play and intended to retire”* . This decision comes despite his recent statement about having *”some juice left”* when he signed with Las Vegas .

The Raiders have already begun adjusting their roster, calling up a practice squad wide receiver to replace Cooper on the roster . As the football world processes this unexpected news, Amari Cooper’s retirement marks the end of a distinguished career that saw him establish himself as one of the premier receivers of his generation—a player whose route-running precision and big-play ability earned him respect across the league and a permanent place in Raiders history.