The biggest offseason issue the Cleveland Browns are dealing with is the continued holdout from wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Cooper – a five-time Pro Bowl receiver – may have been upset with Cleveland’s decision to extend another player on the team, according to analyst Chris Easterling.
Bally Sports Cleveland shared a clip from “The Dawg Check” Podcast on Twitter, and Easterling pointed to the Browns’ decision to reward new wide receiver Jerry Jeudy with a contract extension after the team traded for the player this offseason.
“I think the thing that has upset Amari Cooper is Jerry Jeudy getting an extension,” Easterling said.
Will the contract situation between Amari Cooper and the Browns be resolved before training camp?@Spencito_ and @ceasterlingABJ break it down on The Dawg Check.#DawgPound | @BleavNetwork 🏈 pic.twitter.com/bgZ9Zs9CGh
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) June 23, 2024
Easterling added he expected to see Cooper at the team’s mandatory minicamp earlier this month, and his absence after the first day was completely unexpected.
The analyst praised Cooper as a “consummate professional” as Easterling said he thought Cooper would return on Wednesday and Thursday.
Easterling noted that Cooper’s decision to skip the mandatory session – and potentially be fined over $100,000 for skipping the event – indicated that the 30-year-old wide receiver was “ticked off.”
The analyst said Cooper had the right to be upset after the production the Pro Bowl receiver has delivered for the Browns over the past two seasons in comparison to Jeudy’s numbers.
Podcast host Spencer German asked Easterling if he thought Cleveland and Cooper would get this situation worked out during the team’s extended break over the next month.
Easterling could not answer directly and openly questioned if the team and Cooper would find common ground before July 23 – the date veterans must report to Berea for the start of the team’s training camp.
