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Amari Cooper retires one week after signing with Raiders
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- Amari Cooper retires one week after signing with Raiders
Amari Cooper won't be rejoining the Silver and Black after all.
The five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver on Thursday informed the Las Vegas Raiders of his intent to retire, reversing course just a little more than a week after signing with the team.
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"He called Pete (Carroll) this morning, had a good conversation with Pete – I think he's just done playing," Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said in a news conference Thursday. "You could still see the talent was there. … It's unfortunate because I think the world of him. I think he's a heck of a football player. He's had a heck of an NFL career. But he knows in his heart what he wants to do, so I wish him the best."
Cooper, 31, signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Raiders on Aug. 26. The 10-year veteran began his career with the then-Oakland Raiders as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. He spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys .
Carroll said after Cooper's signing that he would allow the team to bring along a receiving corps that included fourth-rounder Dont'e Thornton, who looked to be in line for significant playing time, and second-rounder Jack Bech , who's currently a backup.
"We thought a chance to add a guy like (Cooper), with experience, really to help our young guys, might really suit us well," Carroll told reporters last week.
"And so, for Dont'e on the outside, they'll be doing a lot of the same stuff. I think Amari's way can affect him and help him come along. There's a lot of pressure for him to be the only X over there that we're kind of going with, so I think this really balances us out well. And I hope it really suits Jack and Dont'e."
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Raiders general manager John Spytek said last week that it was "more than likely" that Cooper would be "a big part of the game plan" for Week 1 despite the receiver's quick turnaround for joining the team. Despite coming off a campaign with the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns in which he recorded career lows of 44 catches and 547 yards while repeatedly being beset by drops, Cooper remained convinced he still had something to offer.
"(T)rust me, I still got some juice left, so I want to show it," Cooper said. "I want to show it. And I felt like this was the opportunity for me to show it."
Cooper, however, was listed as a backup to leading receiver Jakobi Meyers on the team's initial depth chart, with Thornton and Tre Tucker penciled in as the other starters.
Meyers' own future with the organization appears to be in flux after he requested a trade last week – prior to Cooper's signing – on the heels of failed contract extension negotiations. With the team holding firm on not dealing him, however, Meyers intends to play in the opener against the New England Patriots .
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"I asked, they said no. That's where that stopped," Meyers told reporters Wednesday. "I mean, I'm just going to keep doing my job until something shakes out either way, honestly. I don't know which way it's going to go, but I'll be ready for whatever."
Amari Cooper stats
Cooper finishes his career as one of the most productive pass catchers of his generation. Among active players, he ranks ninth in career receptions (711), eighth in receiving yards (10,033) and tied for eighth in touchdown catches (64).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amari Cooper retires from NFL one week after signing with Raiders
