Browns’ Amari Cooper aggravates groin injury, questionable for Monday night showdown vs. Steelers

The Cleveland Browns may not have their No. 1 wide receiver for “Monday Night Football” against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Amari Cooper, listed on the injury report throughout the week with a groin issue, aggravated the injury during Saturday’s practice in preparation for the Week 2 showdown. 

Cooper will be questionable for Monday’s game against the Steelers, essentially a game-time decision. In other words, Deshaun Watson may not have his No. 1 wide receiver.

Cooper missed some of the first half of a Week 1 victory over the Bengals, but returned and finished with three catches for 37 yards. He was a full participant in Friday’s practice before aggravating the injury. Cooper attributed the injury to bad footing and bad weather, but he said he was “all good” earlier in the week. 

Without Cooper, Elijah Moore would take over as the No. 1 wide receiver for Cleveland. Donovan Peoples-Jones and Marquise Goodwin would also likely receive more targets. 

“You try to grow what you do and you learn from things that happen in Week 1 and taking it to Week 2,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said about his wide receivers, via a Browns transcript. “You should do that Week 2, Week 3 as well. There’s a lot of communication that has to take place when you’re talking about the quarterback and the guys that are catching the ball. 

“So that’s running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, constant dialogue in terms of how guys come out of routes, where the ball is going to be. So that’s always ongoing.”