Before Brandon Aiyuk signed his extension with the 49ers, he was involved in several trade rumors — one of which included the Browns and receiver Amari Cooper.
Around the time that reporting came out, Cooper posted “lol I wouldn’t mind at all” to his Instagram story.
As the season arrives, Cooper is still with the Browns and said in a Thursday press conference that he didn’t need to speak with anyone from the team about the potential deal.
“At the end of the day, it’s neither here nor there. So, I’m just focused on playing my best football,” Cooper said, via Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald.
As for that cryptic social media post, Cooper said, “Hey, I mean, the media is all about sensationalism, so I’ll let y’all have fun with whatever you thought that might’ve meant.”
Cooper and the Browns agreed to a renegotiated contract at the start of training camp, giving him a raise for the coming season. But Cooper is still set to become a free agent for the first time next March. He said this offseason hasn’t been trying for him — “I’m not an emotional person, so no” — while noting that he doesn’t take the business aspects of the game personally.
“At the end of the day, you might be traded away from one team — it’s all about how you perceive things,” Cooper said. “Life is all about perception because in regards to trades, you’re traded away from one team but you’re being accepted into another team. So I just look at it as, that’s how the business is arranged. There was a time when there was no free agency. Although I’ve never been a free agent, but I’m just saying that to make a point where players weren’t getting traded as much. It’s just a part of the business now.”
The veteran receiver also isn’t thinking much about the possibility of hitting the open market.
“There’s nothing to be said because I’m just trying to be where my feet are,” Cooper said. “I’m not even thinking about the future when there’s so much at stake now.”
Cooper became the first receiver in Browns history to record back-to-back seasons with at least 1,000 yards in 2023. He finished last season with 72 receptions for 1,250 yards with five touchdowns.
