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Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper is reportedly retiring one week after signing a one-year deal to join the team and days before their first game of the 2025 NFL season.
Cooper, 31, who spent his first four seasons with the Raiders before stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills, informed the team of his decision on Thursday (September 4), a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN. The former University of Alabama standout said returning to the Raiders was a "full-circle moment" and claimed he had "some juice left" after signing with Las Vegas last week.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, who is entering his first season with the franchise, previously said he expected the veteran wide receiver to play on the outside and mentor rookie wide receivers Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech.
"[Cooper and Thornton] will be doing a lot of the same stuff," Carroll said via ESPN. "I think Amari's way can affect [Thornton] and help him come along. There's a lot of pressure for [Thornton] to be the only X over there that we're kind of going with, and so I think this really balances us out well. And I hope it really suits Jack and Dont'e."
Cooper, a five-time Pro Bowler, recorded 711 receptions for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns during his 10 NFL seasons.