It’s been a quiet offseason for veteran WR Amari Cooper, with little chatter about his plans or teams interested in his services. There was some buzz about potentially returning to the Bills or Cowboys, but both teams ended up going in a different direction at the position this offseason. He’s not the only notable veteran receiver still waiting to sign with a team but it does stand out since he’s just a year away from a 1,000-yard season.
Last year was a tough one for Cooper. He did manage to secure a little bit of a contract concession from the Browns going into camp, as he was in the final year of his deal. But Cleveland’s struggles on offense had a major impact on his production. Cooper had 24 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns in six games before being traded to the Bills. His production didn’t improve in Buffalo, partially due to picking up a new system midstream, partially due to a wrist injury that he played through but left him as a decoy more often than not. His targets slipped from 53 in six games to 32 in eight.
While those circumstances would have hurt just about any receiver, it’s telling that the Bills didn’t move to bring Cooper back after trading a third-round pick to land him midseason. His soft market this offseason is another warning sign that the NFL could see the end of the road coming for Cooper. There’s a real chance the soft-spoken Cooper, with plenty of other interests outside the game of football, decides whatever low-cost offer he gets isn’t worth another year of punishment.
Still, there could be a team that needs a boost at receiver that believes Cooper still has more left in the tank. The age cliff can come fast for receivers past the age of 30, but there are plenty who continue to have productive seasons. We’ll see which camp Cooper falls into.
Cooper, 31, is a former No. 4 overall pick by the Raiders out of Alabama in the 2015 NFL Draft. The Raiders traded him to the Cowboys for a first-round pick midway through the 2018 season.
He played out the final year of his four-year, $22.7 million contract, as well as his fifth-year option which cost Dallas $13,924,000 for 2019. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent when he signed a five-year, $100 million contract with the Cowboys in 2020.
The Browns then acquired him, along with a sixth-round pick, via a trade with Dallas that saw the Cowboys receive a fifth and sixth-round pick.
In July of 2024, Cooper and the Browns agreed to a one-year restructured contract that guaranteed him $20 million and added an additional $5 million in incentives to his current deal. He was scheduled be an unrestricted free agent in 2025 when Cleveland traded him during the season to the Bills for a package including a third-round pick.
In 2024, Cooper appeared in six games for the Browns and eight games for the Bills. He caught 44 passes on 85 targets for 547 yards and four touchdowns.
We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list.
New Orleans Saints
In a recent look at potential landing spots for our top available free agents, the Saints stood out as the best potential fit for Cooper. That remains true, as New Orleans hasn’t materially added to its receiving corps following the draft. On paper, New Orleans may have an entrenched top three of Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks, the latter of whom signed this offseason. But Olave and Shaheed are coming off major injuries, while Cooks is turning 32 this year and had just 259 receiving yards in 2024.
Not only would signing Cooper augment the depth and potentially the overall skill of the room, but it would give the Saints a slightly different dimension to the group that they don’t have right now. At 6-1 and 211 pounds, Cooper is a sturdier player than Olave, Shaheed and Cooks, all of who are probably faster but not nearly as physical in tight spaces. The veteran still has some speed to attack down the field and is a crafty route runner, too.
Cooper is also well-versed in new Saints HC Kellen Moore’s scheme. The two overlapped in Dallas for a few years and Moore was the play-caller for most of those. That would grease the wheels for a signing, particularly if it comes later in the calendar. Onboarding Cooper should be easier than another receiver.
Arizona Cardinals
Most of the teams around the league are in a solid spot at receiver, especially as current trends push teams toward making sure they have at least three wideouts they’re comfortable putting out as a starting lineup. One team that looks a little light still is the Cardinals. Arizona has big expectations for 2024 top pick Marvin Harrison Jr, and the true second (or first) option in the passing game is TE Trey McBride. Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch would round out the lineup in three-receiver sets.
Cooper has had single seasons better than Wilson’s production over the past two years combined, making him a potential upgrade as the No. 2 receiver and another weapon for a Cardinals team that wants to make a big leap in 2025. He’d also potentially allow Wilson to kick inside to the slot where his game might translate better. Cardinals OC Drew Petzing was on staff in Cleveland in 2022 when Cooper was traded to the Browns and had a great season, so he should have a great idea of how to deploy him.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are on the hunt for offensive weapons once again, as they traded away WR George Pickens after trading for WR D.K. Metcalf, leaving them in a similar spot as last year when they were searching for another legit threat across from Pickens. Pittsburgh has been persistent and thorough in exploring its options, but also cheap.
Cooper might be a diminished player at this point but he’d almost certainly be affordable and that has to make him a consideration for the Steelers. Signing him would not cost a draft pick and Pittsburgh currently has $18.8 million in cap space to work with. He’d be a viable upgrade at the other outside receiver spot across from Metcalf, and while there’s no direct coaching or schematic link on Pittsburgh’s staff, Cooper does project as a solid fit. He’s good at the in-breaking routes OC Arthur Smith tends to rely on, and he’s a veteran with a level of detail to his approach that QB Aaron Rodgers should appreciate.
New York Jets
On paper, the Jets have one of the weakest receiving corps in the league. Outside of Garrett Wilson, New York will field some combination of Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard and fourth-rounder Arian Smith. Even for an offense that plans to be run-heavy, more help is needed.
It remains to be seen if the Jets would consider Cooper a fit in the offense, particularly as a run blocker which is a big part of the appeal in New York’s eyes for Reynolds and Lazard. Still, he’s more established and proven than anyone on the roster outside of Wilson.
Cleveland Browns
Considering how shallow the Browns are at receiver right now, a return to Cleveland for Cooper has to be mentioned. He was successful for the team as recently as 2023 and knows the system well. He also has a rapport with veteran QB Joe Flacco, who was the one throwing him the ball when the Browns went on a run that season and is the current favorite to open the season as the starter.
However, a return is doubtful for a few different reasons. The Browns did trade Cooper away after all and he might not be eager to return. Cleveland has also moved on with younger and cheaper options. Cedric Tillman in particular stepped in to replace Cooper as the “X” receiver and flashed some potential before concussions shortened his season.
Los Angeles Chargers
Chargers WR coach Sanjay Lal has his share of fans among players he’s coached, including Cooper. Lal was Cooper’s position coach in 2018 and 2019 in Dallas and would be among several significant draws for the veteran, including living in Los Angeles, playing for an ascending Chargers team and catching passes from QB Justin Herbert. It’s a primo landing spot for a receiver this year.
Unfortunately for Cooper, the Chargers seem content with their current group of receivers and unmotivated to add to it right now. That group includes breakout 2024 second-round WR Ladd McConkey, longtime Charger Mike Williams, former first-rounder Quentin Johnston and a couple of rookies, including second-round WR Tre Harris. The Chargers want to leave room for the young players to develop into players they can lean on, and if there was room for a vet in Los Angeles, Williams likely took that spot.
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