Who Should I Start? Tavon Austin or Amari Cooper

Tuesday, August 13, 8:09 PM

Wide receiver Tavon Austin officially announced his retirement from the NFL on social media on Tuesday. Austin was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the eighth overall pick in 2013 out of West Virginia. He spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Rams before playing for the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars. The 34-year-old hadn't appeared in an NFL game since 2021 with the Jags, when he caught 24 of his 37 targets for 213 yards and one touchdown in 13 games (three starts). The nine-year NFL veteran finished his career with a total of 244 catches on 407 targets for 2,239 yards and 16 touchdowns in 113 games (53 starts). Austin's two best seasons were in 2015 and 2016 with the Rams, when he combined for 982 yards and eight touchdowns.

Thursday, September 4, 2:14 PM

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper has informed the team that he intends to retire ahead of Week 1, citing a lack of desire to continue playing. Cooper, who joined the Raiders this offseason in hopes of competing for a starting role, was listed behind rookie Dont'e Thornton Jr. on the initial depth chart. The five-time Pro Bowler spent last season with the Browns and Bills, starting 10 of 14 games while recording 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns. Cooper leaves the NFL after a decorated career, finishing with over 10,000 receiving yards and 64 touchdowns across stops with the Raiders, Cowboys, Browns, and Bills. His departure opens additional opportunities for Thornton and fellow rookie Jack Bech to carve out meaningful roles in the Raiders' passing game this season.