When the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals square off on Sunday afternoon, it won’t just be a regular-season game between two division rivals. It’ll be an opportunity for one player to show his former coaches he could do more than they thought.

Pharoh Cooper was waived by the Rams on Tuesday in what was a very surprising move. Sure, he hadn’t played well after returning from IR, but he was an All-Pro at two positions last season and the Rams didn’t appear to have a better option at kick returner.

He was quickly scooped up by the Cardinals as a waiver claim, beating out the other three teams that also tried to bring him in. Arizona is his second team in the NFL, and his first game with the Cardinals will be against the franchise that drafted him.

He was surprised by his release, but he now views it as a potential positive, allowing him to prove he’s more than just a return specialist.

“That’s kind of why I was excited,” Cooper said. “When I first got the news, I was mad. I was upset, like, ‘Why is this happening?’ But at the end of the day I got the call and I was excited to go somewhere else and showcase my skills. That’s a positive. It could be a blessing in disguise. This could be a fresh start in my career.”

When the Rams traded Tavon Austin during the draft, it was viewed as a potential opportunity for Cooper to see his role grow on offense. He was hardly involved in the offense last season because of the talent the Rams had, but his role was even smaller this year. He played just six offensive snaps in five games.

He didn’t touch the ball once on offense, but now with the Cardinals, he wants to prove he can play wide receiver – something he says the Rams never really gave him the chance to do.

“I would go in there occasionally and do some jet sweeps, run some choice routes, but (the Rams) never really tried to get me involved in the offensive game plan,” Cooper said. “A lot of people when they see me, they label me as a returner. Like, ‘OK, Pharoh Cooper, he’s just a returner. He has no film.’ I’m here to prove myself that I can play receiver. I know I can.”

Cooper is under contract through 2019 so the Cardinals will get a look at him beyond these last two games, so they (and we) will see if he can indeed thrive as more than just a return specialist.