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Veteran WR surprisingly retires after leaving Bills for Raiders, cites 'desire'

One former player who spent a season in Buffalo retires after signing with Raiders in August
Khari Demos|
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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In what is one of the more surprising pieces of news this offseason, one former Buffalo Bills’ wideout is hanging up the cleats.

The NFL announced Thursday that 10-year NFL veteran Amari Cooper would be retiring. NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport said the five-time Pro Bowl selection “no longer has the desire” to play football anymore after returning to the team that drafted him, the Las Vegas Raiders, on August 25.

One of Nick Saban’s best receivers during his time at Alabama, Cooper was drafted by the Raiders in 2015. He would go on to play for the Cowboys, Browns, and Bills, all before briefly rejoining the silver and black before the start of the 2025 season.

Cooper may go down as one of the most underrated receivers of his time. He posted seven seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards and cracked the 10,000-yard mark with Buffalo in 2024 to finish with 10,033 for his career.

The move is shocking on various levels. Of course, from the perspective of him stepping away from the game so quickly after signing with Las Vegas. But it’s also intriguing for Bills Mafia, considering that he could have been brought back into the fold after Buffalo traded for him last year.

He’s also only two years removed from a career-high 1,250 yards in 2023 while in Cleveland. That includes a record-setting performance where he went for 265 yards and two scores on 11 catches against the Texans.

Amari Cooper
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18). | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

But considering his play on the field last season, this should not be as big of a surprise.

While Cooper’s arrival was hyped as a final addition to get the blue and red over the Super Bowl hump, he may have been Buffalo’s most disappointing player last year.

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Even though it was across 14 total games, Cooper’s time with the Browns and Bills in 2024 amounted to 44 catches, 547 yards and four touchdowns (all career lows).

Thankfully for the Buffalo franchise, this retirement did not come at the expense of the Bills. It’s not a situation like the late Vontae Davis', but it’s still a surprising move none the less.

Amari Coope
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18). | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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Khari Demos
KHARI DEMOS

Khari Demos is an award-winning sports media creator and is a contributor for Bills On SI. He has written sports betting article covering the NFL for The Athletic and has written pieces about the NBA, MLB, college football and basketball, and more, throughout his career.

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