Stephon Gilmore Defends Amari Cooper After Harsh Criticism From Rex Ryan
On Friday former Buffalo Bills and New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan set the internet ablaze when he proceeded to call Dallas Cowboys wideout Amari Cooper a "turd" when mentioning how he felt the Cowboys made a mistake by signing Cooper to a five-year, $100 million deal in March.
The criticism seemed a bit unwarranted, as Cooper is coming off a season in which he set career-highs in receiving yards (1,189) receiving touchdowns (8) and catches (79). But that didn't stop Ryan - who has made a career from being outspoken as an analyst - from criticizing the former 4th overall pick that has had a rebirth in Dallas since being traded to them in 2018.
Well, there's at least one prominent player in the NFL that has come to the defense of Cooper in wake of Ryan's harsh criticism of the wideout. That player would be New England Patriots All-Pro cornerback and Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore took to Twitter to express his disappointment in Ryan's comments, and in the process praised Cooper's toughness and elite release off the line of scrimmage.
If there is one player that doesn't have to shine a positive light on Cooper, it's Gilmore. In New England's Nov. 24 game last season against the Cowboys, Gilmore shadowed Cooper the entire game, which resulted in zero catches for the former Pro Bowl receiver. But despite shutting Cooper out on that rainy day in Foxboro, New England's No. 1 cornerback decided to take the high road and come to the defense of one of the NFL's best receivers, which is a classy move that we've come to expect from the 9th-year veteran.
