The Dallas Cowboys’ Amari Cooper is entering the final year of his rookie deal and has reason to note any big contracts handed out to other wide receivers.
That definitely includes the five-year, $100 million extension that All-Pro Michael Thomas agreed to with the New Orleans Saints. He will become the league’s highest-paid wide receiver, with $61 million of that deal being guaranteed.
“I don’t follow it, I just have social media,” Cooper told reporters Thursday when asked about Thomas’ lucrative new deal. “So it follows me.”
Cooper, in his first camp with the Cowboys after an October midseason trade from the Oakland Raiders, has 278 catches for 3,908 yards and 25 touchdowns in four seasons. The 24-year-old has three 1,000-yard seasons and three Pro Bowl selections.
He is due $13.9 million for the 2019 season thanks to his fifth-year option, and he will be due a bump through free agency or an extension. He has said he’s not concerned right now with any negotiations with the Cowboys, and he didn’t want to speculate on how Thomas’ deal could affect his own wallet.
“I mean, I don’t know if it will. Hopefully,” Cooper said with a laugh. “It was a big contract.”
Ten receivers in the NFL make at least $15 million annually, according to overthecap.com.
“I’m just not anxious about the contract for some reason,” he said. “It’s just not on my mind. I’m more interested about just playing football.”
Cooper caught 22 passes for 280 yards in six games for Dallas last season.
“Line one for me with Amari Cooper is that he’s a pro,” coach Jason Garrett told the Dallas Morning News.
“He comes to work. He’s a very serious-minded guy. He really works very hard at football, has got an excellent football IQ, an excellent work ethic and really, really good focus on what he needs to do. He wants to make sure he’s doing everything he can to get himself right to be the best player he can be.”