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Amari Cooper running with ball after catch in Cleveland Browns practice

BREAKING NEWS: Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns Avoid Holdout

The Cleveland Browns and Amari Cooper reached a deal Tuesday to ensure the star wide receiver will be on the field with his teammates as training camp gets underway.

Cleveland Browns, Amari Cooper
Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

According to multiple reports, Cooper and the Browns agreed to restructure his contract, fully guaranteeing his $20 million salary for the upcoming season.

NFL Insider Jordan Schultz points out that the Browns also upped Brown’s pay by $5 million on the reworked deal.

Last season was one of the most prolific and productive of Cooper’s career. In his second season with the Browns, Brown caught 72 passes for a career-high 1,250 yards and five touchdowns, underscoring his value in Cleveland’s passing game.

Cleveland acquired Cooper in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Cowboys prior to the 2022 season, in exchange for just two fifth-round picks as well as a pick-swap in the sixth round of that year’s draft.

Cooper had been seeking a new long-term contract, given that he had previously been entering the final year of his contract.

This offseason has seen the wide receiver market explode, with Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, and Justin Jefferson among the receivers who agreed to record-setting contracts, but it appears Cooper will need to wait for his big pay day.

If Cooper, at age 30, can be as productive in 2024 as he was in 2023, next offseason, whether with the Browns or as a highly sought-after free agent, he has the potential to cash in on a mega-contract as one of the most coveted players at the position next offseason.

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Dec 24, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) catches a touchdown pass with Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre (5) chasing in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

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About Matt Lombardo, Staff Writer

Matt Lombardo is a seasoned NFL reporter, with over 12 years of experience covering the league. In addition to his work at Gridiron Heroics, Lombardo covers the NFL for Heavy.com, is an on air sports contributor for FOX29 Philadelphia, and writes an NFL Substack "Between The Hashmarks." Lombardo is the former Senior NFL Insider of FanBuzz, and prior to taking that role was a national NFL reporter at FanSided where he hosted a weekly podcast "The Matt Lombardo Show." A former beat reporter for NJ Advance Media (Parent company of NJ.com and the Newark Star Ledger), Lombardo covered the Philadelphia Eagles from 2011 through the 2017 season before moving to cover the New York Giants for the Star Ledger for two seasons from 2018 through 2020. During his career to date, Lombardo has covered five Super Bowls, four NFL Drafts, multiple NFL Combines, and has had his work frequently featured in publications such as Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, and more. In addition to his journalism work, Lombardo is a strong on air presence and is a former sports talk radio host on 97.5 FM The Fanatic, Philadelphia's first FM Sports Station and the radio home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers.

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