Coming into this season, the Buffalo Bills were without a true number one wide receiver after they traded away Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans. It didn’t seem to matter though since the Bills are getting ready for the AFC championship game. However, it doesn’t mean that Brandon Beane wasn’t keeping an eye on the trade market during the season because he certainly was.
One of the biggest worst-kept secrets was Davante Adams heading to the New York Jets to reunite with Aaron Rodgers. One move that was a bit of a surprise that caught a lot of people off guard was the Bills trading for wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Buffalo Bills. Cooper was traded less than 24 hours after the Bills defeated the Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 6. He would suit up for Buffalo’s Week 7 game against the Tennessee Titans.
Since joining the Bills, Cooper has recorded 305 yards and two touchdowns. He hasn’t been a huge impactful player but he has had his moments. However, the last two weeks in Buffalo’s playoff games, Cooper has only been targeted four times and caught two passes for eight yards. He didn’t get his first target against the Ravens until the middle of the 4th quarter.
Even though Cooper hasn’t been a contributor, he’s not worried about that at all and he proved it by stating that winning is more important that individual stats. In a video by Matt Parrino, Cooper spoke about how he would rather be in the position he’s in with the Bills rather than individual success.
Some fans have wondered about Amari Cooper’s involvement in Bills offense.
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) January 22, 2025
Cooper has “absolutely no complaints.”
“Winning is way more important & that's all I truly want. I've had it every other way, & haven't reached the pinnacle of this sport of how I would have liked.” pic.twitter.com/jqjhFNMPWY
Amari Cooper demonstrates the importance of winning rather than having his own success
A year ago, when Stefon Diggs was with the Bills, there was constant chatter about ongoing drama in the locker room that involved Diggs and him not getting the ball as much as he wanted. Now, you have Cooper who is very quiet but yet is showing that he is willing to step aside in order for the team to advance. That is exactly the kind of attitude the Bills need going up against the Chiefs.
This is the most successful team that Cooper has been on in his career. There is a time in players’ careers where they would rather experience team success instead of putting huge stats. This kind of attitude could even very well help Cooper receive a contract extension from the Bills before or during free agency.