The Buffalo Bills lost to the New England Patriots 23-16 in Week 18, but the game held little significance for quarterback Josh Allen and his teammates.
Having already clinched the AFC East title and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, the Bills were preparing to host the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round. They rested most of their starters against the Patriots, allowing them to enter the playoffs with a largely healthy team.
However, Allen might have to do without one of his top receivers in the game against the Broncos. Just a day before the matchup with New England, the Bills announced that wide receiver Amari Cooper would not be traveling to Foxborough because of a personal family issue.
Fans sent their well-wishes to Cooper, and there was little worry regarding his absence from the Patriots game since it had no real impact. Nonetheless, Bills head coach Sean McDermott provided a concerning update on their starting wide receiver when speaking to reporters on January 6.
Bills WR Amari Cooper Has Not Rejoined the Team After Missing Week 18
McDermott revealed that Cooper had not rejoined the team and his status against the Broncos was up in the air. When asked if the 30-year-old receiver would return for practice and the playoff game on Sunday, January 12, “I would hope so. At this point, we are taking it one day at a time,” McDermott answered.
When pressed on a timeline, McDermott didn’t budge. “It’s family-related, and I’ll just leave it at that out of respect for Amari,” he said.
Cooper, who landed with the Bills via a trade with the Cleveland Browns in October, wasted no getting acclimated in Buffalo. Just a few days after joining the team, he caught 4-of-5 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.
The five-time Pro Bowler broke out against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14, catching six passes for 95 yards. While Cooper received zero targets the following week, a situation that would frustrate most players, the veteran loved it.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” Cooper told The Buffalo News of Allen not targeting him at all during the Bills’ 48-42 win over the Detroit Lions. “Honestly, I’ve been waiting my whole life to be on a team like this.
“Obviously, I’m a receiver. Every receiver wants the ball. But, I mean, I’m in Year 10. And so, what’s most important to me is winning. And so, I think we definitely have the formula. So, I think it’s actually kind of cool, like going from 14 targets to zero targets, and we win, we beat a great team, actually a potential matchup down the road.”
Well Wishes for Amari Cooper & His Family Filled Social Media
While the public doesn’t know exactly what Cooper is dealing with, people know it must be serious for him to miss time during such a crucial part of the season. The 2015 first-rounder doesn’t post much about his personal life on social media, but he’s one of five children and is close with his mother, Michelle Green.
One fan posted on X, “Sheesh. Hope everything is ok with him and his family.” Another person wrote, “Idk what is going on with amari cooper, but i just hope everything’s okay. 🙏🏻🤍.”
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