"Anyone who doesn't want him knows nothing about football" - Cowboys fans pray for Amari Cooper to stay onboard for 2022 NFL season
Amari Cooper is one of the NFL's most underrated star wide receivers. The 27-year-old has played three consecutive seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, where he's had over 100 targets as Dak Prescott's favorite weapon.
Although Cooper has done wonders for Prescott's career, his contract demands a significant salary-cap figure in 2022. Consequently, owner Jerry Jones could look to move on from him by cutting him or trading him in the offseason.
Cowboys fans took to social media to express their belief that Jones should keep Amari Cooper. One fan went as far as to say this:
"Anyone who doesn't want Amari Cooper knows absolutely nothing about football."
Pro Football Focus editor John Owning agreed that Dallas would be making a huge mistake by releasing the four-time Pro Bowler.
One fan took a more financial approach to his argument. He raised an excellent question as to why Jones couldn't re-work Cooper's contract, which would save almost as much money as cutting him would.
The Cowboys offense led the NFL in points per game in 2021. Cooper's eight touchdowns were a contributor to that.
The public perception of Jones isn't exactly favorable right now. That's because of how the Cowboys went about retaining Mike McCarthy.
It's so bad that a fan tweeted they'll pray for Jones' downfall if he decides to move on from Cooper.
Someone asked people in favor of moving on from Cooper why they believe that. After all, Cooper has delivered in his last three postseason games with two touchdowns and 235 yards.
The same fan proceeded to conclude their argument with a bold claim. He asserted that cutting or trading Amari Cooper would be the dumbest thing to have happened in "the Dak Prescott era."
Sports analyst Jordan Schultz also weighed in on the conversation. He was baffled by there being people in favor of not retaining Cooper. He called it a terrible idea, an opinion shared by the majority of Cowboys Nation.
Another Cowboys fan fired back at fellow supporters who want to move on from Cooper, calling them "stupid." DeMarcus Lawrence had his name brought up as a cap casualty as well.
Lawrence has 48.5 career sacks and has been one of the NFL's best defensive ends when he's been healthy.
Moving on from Amari Cooper would be puzzling, especially given that the Cowboys could potentially lose Cedrick Wilson and Michael Gallup in free agency. One fan made this the basis of their argument. CeeDee Lamb is talented but can't do everything alone.
Finally, one fan merely said they'd lose their minds (to put it nicely) if the Cowboys lose Cooper.
The Cowboys should try to retain Amari Cooper at all costs
Although salary cap concerns are fair, Jones must do whatever he can to restructure Cooper's contract to keep him on the roster in 2022.
The Cowboys looked like the best team in the NFL at times last season. But if Cooper isn't in the squad next year, the offense will be significantly worse off.
Prescott, in particular, has seen his career trajectory skyrocket since teaming up with Amari Cooper three seasons ago. There's no justification for the Cowboys to let Cooper walk away and expect themselves to remain Super Bowl contenders.