Rex Ryan has no love for Amari Cooper.
The former Jets coach made a number of scathing comments on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Friday about the Cowboys’ decision to give Cooper a blockbuster five-year, $100 million contract extension earlier this offseason.
“I wouldn’t have paid this turd,” Ryan said of the 25-year-old receiver. “No way in hell would I have paid this guy.”
The Raiders’ 2015 first-rounder was traded to Dallas in the middle of the 2018 season for a 2019 first-round pick. He was set to hit free agency this March before the Cowboys signed him to a long-term deal on March 16.
Cooper finished the 2019 season with 79 receptions for a career-high 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns, but Ryan was still able to find fault in some of his situational statistics.
“This is the biggest disappearing act in the National Football League,” Ryan said. “He doesn’t show up on the road, he doesn’t show up against when the competition is good — when he’s up against the top corners, that guy disappears.
“To me, you pay Dak Prescott. Forget all those numbers. They’re No. 1 in the league because of Dak Prescott, not because of this guy. It’s a deep draft at receiver. They made a huge mistake right here.”
The comments came as a shock to some in the NFL community with NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport calling for Ryan to apologize.
“What has Amari Cooper done to deserve this personal attack? He’s a hard worker, played through injuries, and is a good teammate. Rex Ryan should apologize,” Rapaport tweeted.
The Cowboys exercised the exclusive franchise tag on 26-year-old Prescott earlier this offseason and are in the midst of negotiating a longer-term contract. The two parties have until July 15 to agree on a deal.
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