Getty Images Amari Cooper of the Cleveland Browns.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has had some sharp criticism for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper after trading him away this offseason but the veteran pass-catcher hasn’t been paying attention to his former boss.
Jones was particularly irked by Cooper not getting vaccinated last season, forcing him to miss two games when he served his mandatory 10-day quarantine. The Cowboys also let pass-rusher Randy Gregory and tackle La’el Collins walk this offseason. All three missed time for various reasons.
“We lost some key players. But it was our decision to lose them,” Jones said at camp this week. “Those decisions were base more on availability than ability. It had everything to do with it. When you’re talking about top-10 money and you get around to half-ass availability … I’m not talking Pig Latin here. I wanna be straight. I love those players personally. But the No. 1 thing you’ve got to do as a player to help us win football games is availability.”
Jerry Jones taking dead aim at Amari Cooper. Said when you make that much money, the bar is higher. It’s about availability. It’s why you are unavailable.
Cooper did not get vaxxed last year and it played a role in him missing three games.
Cleveland sent a 2022 fifth-round pick and swapped 2022 sixth-round picks with the Cowboys for Cooper, which has proven to be a significant steal for the Browns when looking at the skyrocketing salaries for top pass-catchers around the league.
Cooper Says He Never Spoke to Jones About Situation
Cooper was asked about Jones comments during his press conference at Browns’ camp and said he hadn’t heard them. However, the four-time Pro Bowler responded in a one-on-one interview with Cleveland.com, breaking down his decision to not get vaccinated.
“I wouldn’t say it was me marching to my own drum,” Cooper told Cleveland.com. “At the end of the day, I do understand that football is a team sport. But it was such an unprecedented type of moment in the NFL’s history for the decision to be made about putting something that not many people — not anybody knew — the effects of it, into your body.
“For reasons that I don’t really want to discuss, I wasn’t really able to do it.”
Cooper also reiterated that he had not heard Jones’ comments, adding he hasn’t had a conversation with him either.
“I don’t know. I can’t speak to how Jerry felt about it, because I’ve never even had a conversation with him about how he felt about it,” Cooper said. “So until that happens, I can’t really give you an adequate answer on whether or not he held it against me.”
Cooper Not Worried About Browns QB Situation
The Browns are still awaiting a decision on who the quarterback will be for Week 1, with a potential suspension looming for quarterback Deshaun Watson. If he’s unable to go, veteran Jacoby Brissett will be the starter. Either way, Cooper isn’t worried and is focused on doing what he does best.
“At the end of the day, no matter who is back there, if I get open, it is going to be easy for them,” he told reporters on July 28. “If I do not get open, it is going to be hard for whoever is back there. Every time I approach the line of scrimmage, I am trying to create as much separation as possible. I am just looking at a ball spiraling to me at the end of the day.”
Cooper is coming off a down year by his standards (865 yards and eight touchdowns) but still gives the Browns an unquestioned No. 1 receiver and one of the best route runners in the league.
Cooper had a pair of 1,000-yard seasons while in Dallas and was a top 10 receiver in just about every major category. According to ESPN Stats & Information data, he ranked eighth in targets (428) among receivers, seventh in receptions (292), ninth in receiving yards (3,893) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (27).