Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper close to 100% health

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper remains on the physically unable to perform list but says he is close to making a return to health.

Cooper is coming off one of his best seasons in 2020. Still, the former Alabama product says because of a January ankle surgery, he has not run a route since the season finale. In an interview with ESPN’s Todd Archer, Cooper broke down his recovery from an offseason bone spur removal and how it has impacted him.

“I wouldn’t say I’m quite 100 percent yet, to be completely candid,” Cooper told Archer. “I can do everything, maybe a little better, just because I’ve been rehabbing so hard. Just trying to be the best Amari Cooper that I can be, trying to be better than I’ve ever been.”

Return from injury

Cooper finished 2020 with a career high in receptions (92) and catch percentage (70.8) for 1,114 yards and five touchdowns. Despite the great season, Cooper is not yet satisfied.

“I’ve been talking to myself a lot lately about how I want this year to be different than any other year that I’ve played football,” Cooper said.

His time away from the field has allowed for more pensive thoughts about football. At 27, Amari Cooper has allowed this down time to rejuvenate his love for the game as he works toward full health.

“The thing about being injured is it reminds you about how much you love the game,” Cooper said. “You see guys who get injured, and they realize they don’t want to work through this process anymore, and they retire. That’s happened a lot. It’s just shown me how much I want to be there. I miss it so much. I never wanted to run a route so bad. And, so, in that thought process, you just grind to get back healthy, and just try to be the best you can be.”

Cooper is a four-time Pro Bowler entering his seventh NFL season. He spent the first three years of his career with the Las Angeles Raiders before being traded to the Cowboys in 2018. With the anticipated return of quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys offense is set to take a big step forward. Cooper was a Pro Bowler in both full seasons he spent playing alongside Prescott.

The Cowboys start their 2021 preseason with the Hall of Fame game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday. It is unclear whether Cooper will be removed from the PUP list in time for that game.

Image courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images