Cleveland Browns Facing Intense Pressure After Amari Cooper Deal

The Cleveland Browns didn't give Amari Cooper the contract extension everyone was expecting, putting more pressure on them to win now.

Nov 20, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) during pre-game warmups before their game against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns finally reached an agreement with wide receiver Amari Cooper on Tuesday, giving him a $5 million raise for 2024 and guaranteeing him the rest of the money ($20 million) remaining on his contract.

So, really, there was no contract extension here. Cooper will still be a free agent after next season. All the Browns did was provide him with some extra financial security.

It will be enough to get Cooper into training camp, but it will absolutely not assure fans that Cooper will be in Cleveland beyond 2024.

This places even more of an urgency on the Browns to have success this coming season.

Cooper is, quite easily, the best offensive weapon Cleveland has at its disposal right now. Yes, Deshaun Watson and Nick Chubb are on the roster, but Watson hasn't had a good season in four years and is recovering from shoulder surgery. Meanwhile, Chubb is coming off of a devastating knee injury that could severely inhibit his career going forward.

That leaves Cooper as the one constant for the Browns heading into 2024, and many were hoping that Cleveland lock him up for at least the next couple of years.

Apparently, that won't be happening. Not right now, anyway.

Obviously, this does not necessarily mean that Cooper will be a goner next March. He could always just re-sign with the Browns in free agency. But the fact that Cleveland was so hesitant to provide Cooper with any more years indicates it may not be all that interested in retaining him long term.

Cooper is 30 years old, so one can understand the Browns' reluctancy to hand him a lucrative multi-year contract. But he is coming off of arguably the best season of his career, as he hauled in 72 receptions for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. He showed no signs of slowing down, so you have to figure that the University of Alabama product has a couple of good years left in him.

Evidently, Cleveland did not want to stick around to find out.

The Browns are going into the season with a ton of question marks. We don't know how Watson will look. Chubb's health is up in the air. The receiving corps beyond Cooper is full of doubt. Yes, Cleveland did trade for Jerry Jeudy, but one would be remiss to not point out his inconsistent (and very disappointing) career arc.

Defensively, the Browns seem pretty set. They boasted the top-ranked defense last year, and they could very well have the NFL's best unit again in 2024. But offensively is another story.

The Cooper decision puts all the more pressure on Watson to perform come September. He has played in a grand total of 12 games since arriving in Cleveland in 2022, amassing 14 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That isn't going to cut it.

Keep in mind, Watson did that with Cooper on the roster. Now imagine what those numbers would have looked like without him?

We might not have to if the Browns end up letting Cooper walk next offseason.

Of course, Cleveland can minimize all of that by having a wildly successful campaign in 2024. That means actually winning a playoff game and potentially even make a deep run.

The Browns have the talent to do it. If Watson can somehow rediscover his Houston Texans form, Cleveland will be exceedingly dangerous, even if Chubb isn't quite himself.

And think about this: if the Browns prove they are for real and end up having a great year, it may persuade Cooper to re-up and take a bit of pay cut in the spring.

Obviously, there is no guarantee that Cooper will accept less money to stay in Cleveland, but having a good team around him would certainly make that potential decision more likely and less painful.

The Browns won 11 games last season while sifting through five different starting quarterbacks and with Chubb on the shelf, so the potential is there for them to log double-digit victories again this year, even in the rugged AFC North.

Now that we know Cooper may be a one-and-done after 2024, Cleveland may have no choice but to deliver a big season.