As Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper lines up on Sunday, the veteran athlete will see several players on the other sideline he played with just three seasons ago.
Cooper – who was traded to Cleveland from Dallas – has forged friendships with several key athletes on the Cowboys roster.
Yet when he steps onto the field, the business-like approach he’ll take will prevent him from having mixed emotions about playing Dallas.
Analyst Daryl Ruiter shared on X – the platform formerly known as Twitter – his thoughts ahead of playing his former team after leaving the Cowboys in 2022 to join the Browns.
“It’s been a couple of years now,” Cooper said, adding, “I think it would have been more emotional had it had been sooner.”
#Browns WR Amari Cooper on playing his former team in a prime slot + the trade rumors and cryptic IG post pic.twitter.com/xhEak2JnJE
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) September 5, 2024
It’s the kind of challenge that Cooper looks forward to as a top-tier NFL receiver.
The Browns’ contest against Dallas will have a primetime game feel for multiple reasons, but primarily the contest will be unopposed at its 4:25 time slot for a national audience.
Tom Brady will also make his long-awaited debut in the broadcast booth, making this contest must-see TV for many NFL fans.
This is the type of big-game atmosphere that excites Cooper.
“When you grow up as a kid watching football, these are the games that you tend to watch, the games that are primetime, the games that get the most attention,” Cooper explained.
Specifically, Cooper pinpointed playing against Dallas cornerback Trevon Diggs, saying that he was “excited for the challenge” to go up against the fellow Crimson Tide athlete.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Jedrick Wills' Likely Status For Season Opener