Amari Cooper’s 2022 salary is fully guaranteed after the fifth day of the league year in March under his five-year, $100 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys that was signed in March 2020.
The Cowboys have minimal time to decide whether to retain Cooper for the 2022 NFL season. But after June 1, Dallas will be on the hook for only $2 million of dead money on Cooper’s contract.
After he caught 68 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, some in Dallas are pondering their prospects if they were to deal Cooper.
While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones maintains he intends to keep the contract as is, it’s interesting to think about different locations that would benefit both parties were he to be dealt by Dallas.
5. Miami Dolphins
Because, why not?
Cooper grew up in Miami and attended high school at Miami Northwestern Senior High School. At 27 years old, Cooper has spent nearly a decade in either Alabama or Texas. If Dallas were to deal Cooper, the Dolphins could prove an attractive option if the former Crimson Tide standout decided to reunite with his hometown.
Adding another weapon for a former Alabama phenom, Tua Tagovailoa, would prove very beneficial. Former Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle is also on the roster.
If Mike Gesicki can re-sign with Miami, Tagovailoa would be surrounded by solid receiving options.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
2021’s No. 1 overall pick, Trevor Lawrence, didn’t have a true No. 1 receiver all season. If the Jaguars want their star quarterback to be effective, they have to give him more weapons outside.
Enter Cooper. A capable receiver who could garner 130-plus targets from Lawrence and easily pull down 90 of them for 1,100 yards.
Pull some strings to secure some competent protection for Lawrence and Cooper will catch anything thrown his way that’s catchable.
3. Chicago Bears
Chicago doesn’t have much in the wide receiver room. Darnell Mooney is solid with great potential, but I’m not under the impression he will be a huge difference-maker until he gets help from somebody who can assist in stretching the field.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields has the abilities to win NFL games, but his offensive staff this year left much to be desired in the play-calling department.
Getting Fields a solid staff and a solid No. 1 option is paramount to Chicago’s future success.
2. Cleveland Browns
Jarvis Landry is a solid wideout, but is he enough to take the Cleveland Browns on a deep playoff run? Not likely.
Cooper could take the top spot in the wide receiver room instantly. Should he remain healthy throughout an entire season, something he has not accomplished recently, the Browns would be better off with Cooper than they are with Landry.
1. Los Angeles Chargers
What wide receiver doesn’t want to play for one of the best young quarterbacks in the AFC?
The Los Angeles Chargers have a stud at QB, Keenan Allen under contract and plenty of money to replace Mike Williams should he be out the door.
With more than $72 million in cap space available, the Chargers have plenty of room to absorb Cooper’s $20 million cap hit with plenty of room remaining to sign draft picks and pick up another solid free agent.
Cooper bought a $6 million house in North Texas, so he’s dead set on remaining on the roster in Dallas, but there’s always the chance that his organization decides to move on from him, and the aforementioned scenarios would certainly best serve both Cooper and whoever decides to scoop him up should he become available.
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