Ranking 5 best Amari Cooper landing spots in 2025 NFL free agency

After what he did as a rookie in 2024, Ladd McConkey is firmly cemented as the Los Angeles Chargers’ WR1 moving forward. Given Cooper effectively took a back seat to Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir with the Bills, he would theoretically have no issue being a veteran complement to McConkey. At the same time, the Chargers desperately need a serviceable wideout. McConkey excelled in the slot all season long, but neither Quentin Johnston nor Joshua Palmer emerged as sustainable threats from the outside.

With a number of big-name veterans hitting free agency in 2025, the Chargers will have a lot of flexibility and cap space to use over the offseason. Finding a solid wideout to line up next to McConkey in the slot should be one of their top priorities. Los Angeles signing Cooper would be the best-case scenario for both sides.

2. Green Bay Packers need receivers

Arguably no team had a worse receiving corps in 2024 than the Green Bay Packers. Jayden Reed entered the year as the projected No. 1 receiver and led the team with 857 receiving yards despite perfecting his disappearing act throughout the season. Neither one of the always-injured Christian Watson and notorious headcase Romeo Doubs made the situation any better.

If the Packers want to get anything out of Jordan Love before time runs out, they need to seek answers at receiver in 2025 NFL free agency. They will have the assets to do so, as they enter the offseason with the 10th-most cap space in the league. Cooper, a veteran presence with elite route running, is a quality start. At the very least, he would be the best receiver to suit up for Green Bay since Davante Adams left in 2022.

3. New England Patriots have the most cap space

No team will enter the 2025 NFL free agency period with more money to spend than the New England Patriots. Eliot Wolf begins the summer with over $100 million in cap space, mostly due to several high-priced veterans hitting free agency. Some of that money will be spent on retaining talent, but they have also been clear with their intentions to acquire a proven wideout for Drake Maye to work with.

As a rookie, Maye had slightly more success against man coverage than zone. Unfortunately, not many of the Patriots’ receivers succeeded in beating one-on-one coverages. Cooper would undeniably help in that area. Just two years removed from a 1,000-yard campaign, there are still some reasons to believe in Cooper as a legitimate No. 1 option, but New England has enough cap space to add him along with other high-value targets to fully commit to Maye.

4. Kansas City Chiefs sign Amari Cooper

If Cooper desires to join a contender more than anything else, there would be no better destination than the three-time defending AFC Champions. Since Tyreek Hill left the team in 2022, wide receivers continue to elude the Chiefs. However, that recent trend seems to be shifting. Rashee Rice looked like a budding superstar before suffering a torn ACL early in the season, which only allowed rookie Xavier Worthy to emerge late.

Once Super Bowl LIX ends, veterans DeAndre Hopkins and JuJu Smith-Schuster will enter free agency. Both are visibly past their peak and, while a re-sign is still possible, did not bring what the team wanted to the table. Cooper can be the reliable veteran on the outside that Kansas City hoped Hopkins would be when they traded for him at the 2024 deadline.

5. Amari Cooper reunites with Kellen Moore and New Orleans Saints

Kellen Moore is not officially the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints, but all signs point to that announcement coming after Super Bowl LIX. Moore, 36, is currently with the Philadelphia Eagles but made his name with the Dallas Cowboys from 2019 to 2022. Cooper, who played for Dallas from 2018 to 2021, never looked better in his career than he did in Moore’s system.

Again, the big caveat to this notion is the uncertainty surrounding Moore. The Saints are also thin on cap space and would need to clear a few veteran contracts from their books before making any notable signings. If they are able to do so, Cooper is the biggest name on the market with whom Moore has a history of success working.