Cooper intent on re-signing: 'I want to be a Cowboy for life'

Amari Cooper has no plans to leave the Dallas Cowboys in free agency.

"I love being a Dallas Cowboy," the wide receiver said Thursday on 105.3 The Fan. "I love everything about it. I think about it every day. Just the aura of being a Dallas Cowboy, you can't beat it. I want to be a Cowboy for life."

Cooper and the Cowboys have yet to come to terms on a new contract as free agency approaches. The 25-year-old can begin talking to other teams on March 16 when the legal tampering period starts. The market officially opens two days later.

Cooper has thrived with the Cowboys since they acquired him in a trade with the then-Oakland Raiders in October 2018. He had 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019, building on the chemistry he established with quarterback Dak Prescott the year prior.

The Alabama product said it's imperative that Prescott, who's also an impending free agent, returns to Dallas in 2020.

"We've built a good relationship so far," said Cooper. "From the time I got here, we were able to hit the ground running, and just from my experience in being in the NFL, I wouldn't say that's a common thing. Sometimes you can line up with a quarterback after getting traded or going to a new team, whether it's the draft or whatever, and it not go smooth.

"And so, I wouldn't try to trade that for anything because I know what can be on the other side of that. I would say it's very important."

Dallas originally gave up a first-round pick to pry Cooper loose from the Raiders.