Getty Images Cleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper left Sunday's game against the Rams with a concussion.
The Cleveland Browns are down another offensive star, with wide receiver Amari Cooper leaving Sunday’s game early after taking a hard hit.
Cooper headed to the locker room in the second quarter. He dropped a pass and was sandwiched by two defenders, appearing to take a hit to the head. Cooper was battling a rib injury heading into the game. The Browns confirmed after the game that Cooper suffered a concussion on the play.
Cooper was slow to walk off the field and went straight to the medical tent. Shortly after, he walked to the locker room with around 6 minutes left in the second quarter. Cooper has been able to play through injury during his career, including last year as he battled to suit up down the stretch.
He has far and away been the Browns’ most productive wide receiver. Cooper leads the Browns in receptions (49) and yards (799). He’s also the only receiver on the roster averaging more than 10 yards per catch.
Amari Cooper Looked Forward to Playing With Joe Flacco
Getty ImagesBrowns receiver Amari Cooper.
Cooper had a pair of catches for 34 yards before exiting against the Rams. He was excited to get to work with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who shined early with some impressive throws.
“He looks good. He throws a very pretty ball,” Cooper said Thursday, November 30. “I don’t know if it’s intentional or what, but when he drops back and he lets it go, the whole motion is like poetry in motion. It looks good.”
Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt lauded Cooper for his toughness during the week.
“Amari man is special. He fights through everything to get there. He’ll do that again this week, it looks like, but then on game day, he lights up,” Van Pelt said. “So toughness is an area that you don’t have to worry about with Amari. He’s going to be there if he can, and on game day, he’s going to be his best self.”
Browns Have Been Hammered by Injuries on Offense
Getty ImagesCleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb.
The Browns have been hammered by injuries on the offensive side of the ball and Cooper is the latest casualty. Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb was lost for the season in Week 2 with a knee injury and franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson was ruled out for the year in November with a broken bone in his shoulder.
Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson came in as Watson’s replacement but he suffered a concussion against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 26. Thompson-Robinson did not clear concussion protocol this week, which forced Flacco into the starting role.
Flacco spent the start of the season watching from his couch but the 38-year-old QB was ready to prove he still had something left in the tank.
“It’s definitely exciting,” Flacco said on Thursday, November 30. “There are a lot of things about being at this point in my life that make it really exciting, even besides just playing the game of football. There are so many things that add to it now, having young kids and feeling their excitement about it. And when you are away, it puts things in perspective a little bit. And like I said, you just try to let these opportunities take care of themselves and do your best to be ready for them.”