The Philadelphia Eagles released wide receiver Riley Cooper on Monday, the first day teams can cut players.
In 2014 Cooper signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Eagles with $8 million guaranteed. The Eagles will save $2.9 million in cap space by cutting Cooper and have $2.4 million in dead money, according to NFL.com. Cooper’s release comes just six weeks after the Eagles fired Chip Kelly.
Cooper was drafted by the Eagles in 2010. He had 46 catches for 679 yards and five touchdowns in his first three seasons with the Eagles under Andy Reid. In 2013 when Kelly became the Eagles head coach he made the team despite an incident where he shouted a racial slur at an African-American security guard at a Kenny Chesney concert, and had 47 catches for 835 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2014 he had 55 catches for 577 yards and three touchdowns. This season he had 21 catches for 327 yards and two touchdowns, according to ESPN. Cooper has 169 catches and 18 touchdowns in 88 games.
The Eagles will have Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, and Josh Huff as their top receivers with Cooper gone. It will be interesting to see if Cooper goes to the San Francisco 49ers and reunites with Kelly.