Amari Cooper’s departure from the field in the fourth quarter of the Cleveland Browns’ game against the Denver Broncos was marked by significant pain. In a crucial third-and-long situation with the Browns trailing by 12 points, Cooper, crossing the field, collided with safety P.J. Locke, who was filling in for the suspended Kareem Jackson. Despite the hit being within legal bounds, Locke’s facemask made contact with Cooper’s ribs, causing visible distress to the wide receiver as he lay on the ground.
Following an examination in the blue medical tent, Cooper was escorted to the locker room with just over six minutes left in the game. In the 2023 season, Cooper has made 45 receptions for 749 yards. While he established a strong connection with Deshaun Watson, his performance has faltered with the other quarterbacks on the roster, evident in multiple questionable drops during the Broncos game.
The Browns’ passing game, already grappling with injuries, suffered another setback as Cooper exited the matchup against the Broncos in the second half. Before leaving, Cooper managed to secure two passes for 16 yards on six targets. However, his statistics have noticeably declined since Watson’s season-ending injury in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Cooper’s performance with Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the starting quarterback has been limited, with only seven receptions for 66 yards across all three games under Thompson-Robinson’s leadership. If Cooper faces absence in the coming weeks due to the recent injury, it is anticipated that Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, and David Njoku will play expanded roles in the Cleveland passing game.
