Newest 10,000-yard WR Amari Cooper cites 'favorite thing' about Josh Allen

The Buffalo Bills' wide receiver 'grateful' for the quarterback situation.

Ralph Ventre | Jan 1, 2025

Dec 29, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against New York Jets cornerback Brandin Echols (26) during the second half at Highmark Stadium. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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It's a throw that a lot of quarterbacks won't even attempt to make, but Buffalo Bills' wide receiver Amari Cooper admitted Josh Allen is different than most.

Cooper and Allen connected three times during the Bills' 40-14 win over the New York Jets on December 29, and the third hook-up resulted in an improbable 30-yard touchdown.

“That's the type of quarterback he is. He's going to give you an opportunity. Every quarterback isn't that way for some reason, but I am grateful for that," said Cooper, who has played eight games since being traded to Buffalo.

With Buffalo facing a 2nd-and-14 from the Jets' 30-yard line in the third quarter, Allen flung the ball to the front right corner of the end zone as Cooper broke to the spot while tightly covered by cornerback Brandin Echols. The targeted receiver went out and snared it while falling onto his back and Echols in his face.

“I've ran that route hundreds of times at this point. Generally, when the corner doesn't bite on it, the quarterback just comes off of you and throws it somewhere else," said Cooper. "When I saw that the corner didn't bite, I was just like, I wasn't jogging, but I was like, okay, he's going to come off of me, and something told me, okay, he's about to throw it. I kind of sped up a little bit, and it was just a routine catch, really, as far as like, high-pointing the ball.”

It was a risky throw, and the ability to complete it is what differentiates Allen from most quarterbacks, according to Cooper.

“It's crazy, because like I alluded to earlier, a lot of quarterbacks aren't really willing to take those risks. But he has that talent to where he knows exactly where to put the ball, and as a receiver, we love that. That's like our favorite thing about a quarterback," said Cooper.

The 30-year-old Cooper, who fought through a wrist injury during November, surpassed a career milestone on his second catch of the game. He became the 57th player in NFL history to reach the 10,000-yard career receiving mark, coincidentally surpassing former Bills' WR1 Eric Moulds (9,995) in the process.

Although his stats are far from staggering, Cooper has been a highly valuable addition to the Bills' offense. He demands the defense's attention and has shown the ability to make the difficult catch look routine on multiple occasions. Fourteen of his 20 receptions have resulted in first downs.

Dec 29, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against New York Jets cornerback Brandin Echols (26) / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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