Oakland Raiders pick up Amari Cooper’s option to haunt Chiefs through 2019

The Oakland Raiders have decided to pick up wide receiver Amari Cooper’s fifth year option according to the latest NFL reports.

The Oakland Raiders have officially decided to bring back Amari Cooper for a fifth year after Josina Anderson reported that the team will pick up the option for the former first round choice.

Cooper, the former Alabama wideout, has been one of the NFL’s better receivers during his first few years in the league, although last year certainly was a down season—the worst of his short career. He’s also suffered numerous drops over his tenure with the Raiders. Yet those question marks didn’t linger for long given that the team has decided to bring him back for another season. It also wouldn’t surprise anyone if there’s also a long-term extension in the works.

Cooper’s presence in the AFC West might not matter as much to most teams as it does to the Kansas City Chiefs. Last year, for example, Cooper caught 48 passes for 680 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. It was by far his worst statistical season, even as he set a career high in touchdowns. He also caught only 50 percent of the passes thrown his way.

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Coming into the Raiders home game against the visiting Chiefs, the Raiders had lost four in a row and Cooper had averaged 3 catches and 24 receiving yards through the season’s first six games. Meanwhile, the Chiefs were 5-1 and dominating the very best of the NFL—including the New England Patriots and future Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles. That very day, Cooper caught 11 catches for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In his career, Cooper has 32 catches for 457 receiving yards against the Chiefs.