Cowboys’ Amari Cooper wants to remain with the club in 2022

Wide receiver Amari Cooper’s season started on a great note with a career-high 13 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the Dallas Cowboys season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He suffered cracked ribs during the game but remained in the starting lineup.

Cooper’s 68 receptions and 865 yards this season were his second-lowest totals in each category during any full campaign, but his eight touchdowns tied a career-high. Sprinkle in him being unvaccinated and missing two games after testing positive for COVID, the 2021 season was a rollercoaster for the four-time pro bowler.

The former first-round pick spoke to reporters on Tuesday about his future and had this to say about being back in Dallas next season.

“I don’t make those decisions,” Cooper said. “I honestly don’t know, but hopefully.”

The Cowboys can save up to $16 million if they trade or release Cooper. Although that puts more coins in the Cowboys’ piggy bank, it could set the team’s receiving corp back tremendously, especially if wide receiver Michael Gallup isn’t retained. There is, however, another route the Cowboys can go.

A restructure of Cooper’s deal can save the Cowboys up to $12.67 million. This would not only keep Cooper on the roster but it would leave the Cowboys with a two-headed monster at receiver when including CeeDee Lamb, or even a formidable trio if Gallup or Cedrick Wilson return in 2022.

Cooper has built great chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott over the last several seasons. In just nine games in 2018, Cooper racked up 53 receptions on 76 targets (69.7%) for 725 yards and six touchdowns. In 2019, Cooper set career highs in yards (1,189), touchdowns (8), and yards per catch (15.1). Cooper and Prescott only played four full games together in 2020 due to Prescott suffering a season-ending ankle injury. However, the combination was lights out hooking up for 37 receptions and 401 yards over that span.

Cooper has made multiple playoff appearances with the Cowboys and has also experienced the lows of non-playoff teams. He recently said that he had never been on a team like the 2021 Cowboys, and although they will look different next season with over 20 free agents to make decisions on, there will still be a lot of talent on the roster to compete on a high level going forward.

Every team has to make tough decisions regarding big-name players at some point. That’s where the Cowboys stand with Cooper, either cut ties and save a bunch of cash and possibly draft another receiver or rework his deal to keep the route running wizard as the No. 1 receiving option in Dallas.

It will be one of the biggest decisions the Cowboys will have to make in the offseason and will certainly be one of the first they take care of.

List

Comes the Cowboys Reckoning: Dallas' offensive line needs serious repair

Like this article?

Sign up for the Cowboys Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning

An error has occured

Please re-enter your email address.

Thanks for signing up!

You'll now receive the top Cowboys Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.