What new Bills WR Amari Cooper said about QB Josh Allen

New Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper was quite complimentary of quarterback Josh Allen during his Wednesday press conference.

Kyle Silagyi | Oct 16, 2024

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You’d likely be hard-pressed to find an NFL wide receiver who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to play with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

The 28-year-old is one of the league’s best signal-callers by whatever metric you wish to reference. He’s the only player in NFL history to total over 40 touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, earning league MVP votes in three of those campaigns; wide receivers generally like playing with elite quarterbacks, and Allen certainly falls into that category.

Amari Cooper is not dissimilar from the median wide receiver in that he’s excited about the idea of playing with Allen, but he does differ from most pass-catchers in that he now actually has the opportunity to do so. In need of an alpha wideout to bolster a talented, but underperforming receiving corps, the Bills acquired Cooper from the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday afternoon, allowing the seven-time 1,000-yard receiver to join forces with potentially the best quarterback he’s ever shared a field with.

It’s, in theory, a match made in heaven; Cooper was stuck on a lifeless Browns offense, and Allen was in need of a primary wide receiver. The two have an opportunity to create magic with each other on a Buffalo roster that’s well-positioned to win its fifth-consecutive division title; the veteran receiver talked about his new quarterback during a Wednesday press conference, praising the passer’s ability and expressing excitement to soon catch passes from him.

“Obviously I don’t know him personally,” Cooper said. “Obviously I will in the next 11 games or so. As far as the way he plays, it’s phenomenal every time I turn on the television and watch him play. He plays with a lot of grit, a lot of hustle. He plays hard. Obviously he’s been one of the top quarterbacks in the game for a while now. Just to be able to play with him and experience that in person, I think is going to be real cool.”

It will take time for Cooper and Allen to establish and fine-tune their rapport, but the team acquired the five-time Pro Bowler early enough in the season that the two should be in a rhythm by the time the playoffs come around. The former fourth-overall pick has been immensely productive with each of his three previous NFL clubs; now paired with a quarterback who has a history of getting the most out of his receivers, it’s difficult to imagine him not replicating—and potentially exceeding—this production in Orchard Park.

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