Amari Cooper went from a fading No. 1 wide receiver in Cleveland to a top one with Buffalo.
Looking to add a playmaker for quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills acquired Cooper on Tuesday in a trade with the skidding Browns, whose season seems to be unraveling by the week with the NFL’s worst offense.
Just hours after the New York Jets acquired Davante Adams to pair with Aaron Rodgers, the Bills pulled off their own big deal, one they hope will keep them ahead of their AFC East rivals and on track to make a deep postseason run.
Cooper is a five-time Pro Bowler and his arrival will give Buffalo’s patchwork receiving group a boost. The Bills have needed a player of Cooper’s stature since trading Stefon Diggs to Houston during the offseason.
“Any time you feel like you’re improving as a football team, I would say yes,” coach Sean McDermott said when asked if the trade gives the team a jolt of energy.
“But on paper is one thing, right? At the end of the day, can the person play and help us? That’s really what we’re here to see over the next couple of days,” he added. “And I would hope that the answer to all of that is yes.”
Cooper was scheduled to practice Wednesday as Buffalo prepares to host Tennessee this weekend.
The Bills sent a third-round pick in the 2025 draft and a seventh-rounder in 2026 to Cleveland for Cooper and a sixth-round pick in 2025. The swap came a day after the Bills (4-2) beat the Jets 23-20.
For Cooper, the deal ends a disappointing and disjointed third season with Cleveland.
The 30-year-old, who was in his final year under contract, has made numerous uncharacteristic drops that didn’t help struggling Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson get his game on track.
“Move or rust,” Cooper posted on Instagram.
Rodgers, Adams reunite
Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams are finally reunited after more than two years of separation and one year of speculation — and now they’ll try to save the New York Jets’ sinking season.
The Jets acquired the disgruntled Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday, sending a conditional third-round pick in next year’s draft, which could become a second-rounder.
“We’re back, man,” Adams said while briefly joining Rodgers at the Jets’ facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, for the quarterback’s weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “We’re back.”
