After five-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper decided to call it a career, the Las Vegas Raiders added a young receiver, but are also reuniting with a veteran who is a former first-round pick and Super Bowl champion.
Cooper was officially placed on the reserve/retired list after announcing earlier this week he was retiring at 31 years old. He just signed with the Raiders a week ago and the decision leaves questions at the receiver position in Las Vegas.
Raiders announced Sept. 5 that Justin Shorter was signed to the active roster, while the team also said they are reuniting with Phillip Dorsett II, who has been released by Las Vegas twice now in his career.
GettyGLENDALE, ARIZONA – AUGUST 23: Wide receiver Phillip Dorsett #13 of the Las Vegas Raiders attempts to catch a pass during the NFL preseason 2025 game at State Farm Stadium on August 23, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 20-10. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Phillip Dorsett Was First-Round Pick and Super Bowl Champion
Dorsett was signed to the Raiders in March 2023 but was released before the 2023 season. He now rejoins the Raiders after spending last season on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver entered the NFL as a first-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2015 draft out of Miami. Over his career, he has appeared in 94 games with the Colts (2015-16), New England Patriots (2017-19), Seattle Seahawks (2021), Jacksonville Jaguars (2021), Houston Texans (2021-22), and Denver Broncos (2023).
He won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2018, but Dorsett’s production was never the same after suffering a chronic foot injury in 2020 while with the Seahawks. He eventually underwent foot surgery to remove bone spurs.
Throughout his 11-year career, Dorsett has recorded 151 receptions for 2,001 yards (13.3-yard average) and 12 touchdowns, along with 14 carries for 84 yards (6.0-yard average).
Justin Shorter Adds Some Depth at Receiver
Shorter joined the Raiders at the start of last season, initially signing to the team’s practice squad. While he was listed as a tight end at the time, his brief stints on the active roster were limited to special teams.
The Raiders’ new coaching staff has since moved him back to his original position as a wide receiver. Even during the preseason, however, his role remained primarily on special teams. As a result, his impact as a wide receiver on the roster is limited, and the team may still need to consider promoting or signing another receiver ahead of the season opener.
The Raiders currently have six receivers on the active roster: Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Dont’e Thornton Jr., Jack Bech, Alex Bachman and Shorter.
The top target in Vegas last year was star tight end Brock Bowers, who led the NFL in tight end receiving yards last season.
Amari Cooper Calls it Career With More to Give
Cooper’s decision to retire came as surprise to the Raiders’ staff. He hasn’t publicly given a reason for his decision to call it quits, but coaches have spoke to him.
“He called Pete (Carroll) this morning, had a good conversation with Pete – I think he’s just done playing,” Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said in a news conference Thursday. “You could still see the talent was there. … It’s unfortunate because I think the world of him. I think he’s a heck of a football player. He’s had a heck of an NFL career. But he knows in his heart what he wants to do, so I wish him the best.”
The Raiders open the season at the New England Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m. EDT.
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