Amari Cooper left the field in a lot of pain in the fourth quarter of the Cleveland Browns‘ game against the Denver Broncos. What do we know about Cooper’s injury? How does it change the Browns’ already questionable offensive attack?
Amari Cooper Injury Update
On a third-and-long play down by 12 points, Cooper was crossing the field when he was hit by safety P.J. Locke, who is playing for the suspended Kareem Jackson. Although the hit was wince-inducing, it was legal.
#Browns WR Amari Cooper went down after taking a shot on this play.
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 26, 2023
However, Locke’s facemask contacted Cooper in the area of his ribs, and the WR was in clear pain on the ground.
After visiting the blue medical tent, Cooper was led to the locker room with just over six minutes remaining in the game. He was eventually ruled out for the rest of Sunday’s contest.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said X-rays on Cooper’s ribs came back negative but didn’t indicate if the veteran wideout will miss any time.
Cooper has caught 45 passes for 749 yards in 2023. He had a fantastic rapport with Deshaun Watson on the field, but the receiver has struggled to get anything going with the other two quarterbacks on the roster. There were multiple questionable drops against the Broncos on Sunday.
Potential Fantasy Impact
The Browns’ passing game continues to get decimated by injuries, with receiver Cooper getting banged up in the second half of the team’s matchup against the Broncos.
Cooper caught two passes for 16 yards on six targets prior to his exit. His numbers have dropped off significantly since Watson sustained a season-ending injury back in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Cooper has a combined seven receptions for 66 yards in all three games Dorian Thompson-Robinson has started this year. If Cooper misses any time in the coming weeks, look for Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, and David Njoku to see an expanded role in the Cleveland passing game.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Derek Tate
