The Cleveland Browns opened their three-day mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, and wide receiver Amari Cooper wasn’t there.

Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski termed the former Alabama All-American’s absence as “not excused.”

NFL players are not required to participate in offseason programs except for the mandatory minicamp.

“Obviously, as you guys know, you really have to focus on the guys that are here,” Stefanski said at his Tuesday press conference. “These situations, I do understand, that they do come up. I’ll really leave all that between Amari and Amari’s agent, (Browns general manager Andrew Berry) and those types of conversations.”

Asked to confirm that Cooper had asked for a contract extension, Stefanski said: “I can’t confirm that.”

Cooper recorded a career-high 1,250 yards on 72 receptions, with five touchdowns, in 2023. With his seventh 1,000-yard season, Cooper received his fifth Pro Bowl invitation.

Cooper is entering the final season of a five-year, $100 million contract that he signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

In 2022, Cleveland obtained Cooper and a sixth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft from Dallas for 2022 fifth- and sixth-round draft picks. Cooper was two seasons into his contract when it became too rich for the Cowboys’ taste after he had 68 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021. Dallas traded Cooper just days before his $20 million salary for the 2022 season was to become guaranteed.

When Cooper signed the contract with Dallas in 2020, he had the only $100 million deal among the NFL’s wide receivers. This season, the Las Vegas Raiders’ Davante Adams, Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown and Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill will play on contracts with a total value of more than $100 million.

The $20 million annual average of Cooper’s contract is now tied for the 20th highest among the NFL’s wide receivers, and his $20 million pay for 2024 will be the 12th highest among the NFL’s wide receivers.

Players who miss minicamp without team permission can be fined — $16,953 for the first absence, $33,908 for the second and $50,855 for the third. A player who missed an entire minicamp can be fined up to $101,716.

Earlier this offseason, Berry said the Browns hoped to have Cooper on the team “as long as possible.”

“Coop’s a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver,” Berry said. “He’s played really well for us the past two years. He’s a strong presence in the locker room. We love him, so players like that you want to make sure you can retain as long as possible. We’ll work through all that at the appropriate time.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.