On March 22nd ,2022, the Cleveland Browns traded with the Dallas Cowboys to acquire wide receiver Amari Cooper.  The Browns sent the Cowboys a 2022 5th round pick in the NFL Draft in return for Cooper. Dallas made the trade for salary cap reasons. And the Browns quickly extended Cooper after the trade. This season is the final year of his contract with Cleveland.

In the offseason Cooper did holdout to get a better deal in his final contract year. Cooper missed OTA’s and minicamp. Cooper and the Browns did agree to a contract restructure in his final year. This agreement came right before the start of training camp. Browns fans were relieved and happy that a training camp holdout was avoided.  Earlier in the 2024 offseason, the Cleveland Browns traded for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Browns fans were expecting a dynamic wide receiver tandem this Browns season. That tandem hasn’t manifested in the first two games this season.

At the start of the 2024 season, the 30-year-old wide receiver had the worst two game stretch as Cleveland Brown. In the first two games this season Cooper has only 5 receptions for 27 yards. He has also had some uncharacteristic drops in these games. He doesn’t look like the Amari Cooper that Browns fans have known since 2022. The question Browns fans are asking is what is wrong with Amari Cooper?

My feeling is that Amari Cooper is not the problem, his early lack of production is a symptom of the problem. The 2024 Cleveland Browns offense is off to a slow start. Many fans point to the lack of game reps in the preseason. The main reason for the slow start on offense for the Browns is health. Amari Cooper did have some nagging injuries in training camp and preseason. The Browns are still without their starting offensive tackles and Nick Chubb. Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku is also fighting through an early season ankle injury. The hope is with better health and game reps the Browns offense and Amari Cooper will improve. Otherwise, the season could be relied on by the defense. And that is not complimentary football.