Amari Cooper’s status for Sunday’s clash against Tennessee’s heating up pretty bad. While there’s been plenty of speculation surrounding the new WR’s debut, this story’s got layers!

NFL insider Jordan Schultz dropped a bombshell tweet on X: “Sources: #Bills WR Amari Cooper is expected to play Sunday vs the #Titans.” Even though Buffs’ HC Sean McDermott was coy about making a decision earlier this week, it looks like Cooper’s all set to make his Buffalo debut—right in front of the electrifying Bills Mafia [aka the loudest fans in the league].

Bills’ HC had previously played it close to the chest, saying, “I’ll be checking in with the offensive staff and just seeing how he’s picking up things.” With the five-time Pro Bowl WR’s arrival in the mid of the season, McDermott knows it’s more than just plug-and-play. Wideouts often have the toughest time adjusting on the fly. He added, “There are other players to factor in as well and who’s going to play where and who gets the ball.”

Buffs’ GM Brandon Beane was initially scoping out big-name receivers like Davante Adams. But Cooper’s salary made him the more realistic choice. Beane admitted that Adams’ $11M cap hit was a deal-breaker for the Bills’ already tight budget, whereas the Crimson Tide product’s less than $900k hit was a steal. “By the time their move was announced, we had honed in on Amari,” Beane shared.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect—Cleveland’s sitting at 1-5. The Browns are literally in sell mode, and Beane made his move. He said, “I had a conversation with them Sunday evening and a couple more on Monday. We were close to sealing the deal when the Adams trade was announced.”

Despite all the chatter, Amari Cooper’s pretty excited about his fresh start in Buffalo. 

Amari Cooper: Embracing change and eyeing success 

Cooper’s no stranger to mid-season trades. Remember his moves from Las Vegas to Dallas in 2018 and then to Cleveland in 2022? He’s taking this change in stride.

Swapping the 1-5 Browns for the 4-2 Buffs has given the WR fresh energy. “Yeah, it does. It does 100 percent for several reasons actually,” he asserted, pretty excited about moving to a winning team. “It’s just that feeling of having a fresh beginning, a new start, a blank canvas that you get to control your destiny, you know?”

Cooper’s got plenty of reasons to feel confident—his back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Plus, his Pro Bowl run with Big D and those 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020. Now, he’s got a new challenge: catching passes from QB Josh Allen. “As far as the way [Allen] plays, I mean, it’s phenomenal,” Cooper alluded with excitement. 

Amari Cooper’s ready to bring his A-game to Buffalo. Let’s see how his game shapes up here.