When the Panthers signed wide receiver Pharoh Cooper last March, most assumed it was to fill the team’s need at the returner spot, a place that has been a rotating roster of disappointment for the past decade – and it just might be. But don’t be mistaken – he just doesn’t want to be known as a returner, he also wants to be thought of as a receiver as well.
“Anyone, as a wide receiver, they want to go into that team and say ‘I want to play wide receiver and I want to make plays and be in on third downs,” Cooper said to reporters on a Zoom conference call Thursday, “Punt returner and kick returner is fun, don’t get me wrong – but I’m a receiver first.”
“Punt returner and kick returner is something I’m good at, and I can do and I can help the team doing that. But obviously, I want to be on the team as a receiver making plays, helping this team get up and down the field.”
“When that opportunity comes, I will just take advantage of it.”
In 12 games for the Arizona Cardinals last season, the opportunity didn’t come often – Cooper recorded only 25 receptions for 243 yards and a touchdown on just over 20% of the offensive snaps. Both his receptions and yardage total for the season were a career-high, but Cooper hopes to become more a receiving option in offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s system.
And he’s caught the eye of Brady – and head coach Matt Rhule.
“He’s had a great camp so far,” Rhule said. “Joe [Brady] says to me the other day, he’s a guy who was brought in as a returner but he has done a really good job as a receiver and can help us as a receiver. He can help us with the run after the catch. He gets open, he knows the routes, he works really hard. I’m really pleased with Pharoh.”
“He is one of the guys in camp that has really shown me something.”
Photo Credit: Brandon Todd/Carolina Panthers
Last Sunday during practice, Will Grier connected with Cooper on a beautiful deep ball with Jeremy Chinn in coverage, one of the best plays we’ve seen since camp has graduated past walkthroughs. Cooper and Grier, along with fellow receiver D.J. Moore, worked out at a local high school during this offseason after Cooper signed in Carolina.
“I live in Charlotte anyway, so the past two offseasons, I’ve been in Charlotte,” Cooper said. “Me and Will got together at a local high school, and D.J. was already in Charlotte too, so we just linked up and got each other’s numbers and just started throwing there.”
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Cooper is certainly the leader in the clubhouse and expected to take the returner role, but the Panthers have had multiple playmakers during training camp take reps at punt returner – both Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore have taken some reps there in the past couple of weeks. While Rhule says he’ll use anyone he can to take an advantage, Rhule doesn’t anticipate adding to McCaffrey’s workload during special teams.
“Anytime you have the ability to get the ball in one of your best player’s hands, it is something you have to think about,” Rhule said. “Again, it is not something I am sitting here saying we are doing. It’s something I was asked if I would consider, and obviously, I would consider it.”
Over the last two seasons, Carolina has averaged just 22.1 yards per kickoff return and 6.9 yards per punt return. So it makes sense the team would hope to upgrade at both kickoff and punt returner. However he is used, Cooper is just happy to be back playing in his home state.
Cooper attended high school in North Carolina in Havelock, just under 300 miles from Bank of America Stadium. After going to college at South Carolina, Cooper was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. That’s when Cooper began to focus more on special teams – he averaged 26.1 yards per kick returns and 10.9 yards per punt return. He was even selected as a 2017 All-Pro as a return specialist.
But an ankle injury the next season landed him on injured reserve, the Rams later released him and his career hasn’t been the same since. Cooper bounced between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals before signing with the Panthers – and he’s confident that he can regain his Pro Bowl form with the Panthers.
“Coming off that second year, I did really well,” Cooper said. “My third season, the first game, I hurt my ankle and was out 10 weeks, and my career got tossed up and got tangled up a bit. But then I got back on my feet. I get that question a lot.”
“I’m trying to get back to that form of being the Pro Bowl returner. Absolutely, that’s the goal for this year.”
(Top Photo Via Brandon Todd/Carolina Panthers)
