Browns WR Amari Cooper: "I'm Trying To Get Paid This Year"

Cleveland's top wideout skipped veteran minicamp while he waits for a contract extension

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) pulls in a catch for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter in Cleveland, Ohio, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA

Amari Cooper said a lot without saying anything when he skipped the Browns veteran minicamp earlier this month.

The 30-year-old is seeking a new deal with a significant pay raise after watching many of his fellow wide receivers earn big pay days this offseason. If his absence from minicamp didn't make that clear, now he's officially said it outloud.

In a recent TikTok shared by sports betting app betr, Cooper is captured being challenged to a race by a content creator who calls him one of the best route runners in the league. The conversations leads to laughs between the two before Cooper adds that he wouldn't want to risk an injury running a meaningless race because "I'm trying to get paid this year."

“I’m trying to get paid this year,” - Amari Cooper 😳😳🤔

(Via @betr) pic.twitter.com/7DgBIPGpzV

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 25, 2024

It's the first verbal commentary from Cooper on his desire for a contract extension, although it wasn't exactly a secret before.

nThe next month could serve as a key one for the standoff between Cooper and the Browns. If the two sides can reach an agreement the former Raiders and Cowboys wide receiver should be present and accounted for when the team reconvenes in Berea on July 23. If they can't though, Cooper's holdout could extend into training camp in August, or even beyond.

Dropped my 4 burning #Browns questions earlier today and on the docket this week is what Cleveland will do with their surplus of quarterbacks later this summer: https://t.co/d5vB8vxg7J

— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) June 24, 2024

For what it's worth general manager Andrew Berry recently told the NFL Network that the organization's feelings on Cooper are unphased by his absence during the offseason program. Even going as far as to say that he is a but he is "a big part of our culture." Perhaps those sentiments will serve as a foundation for getting a deal done in the coming weeks in order to ensure that Cooper is present for the team's trip to the Greenbrier in late July.