The Buffalo Bills have left the door open for Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper to come back to the team in 2025, but one analyst believes an NFC contender could get to him first.
Cooper had an uneven half-season in Buffalo after joining ahead of the trade deadline, turning in some big performances but disappearing at times. The Bills let Cooper hit free agency after the conclusion of the season, but general manager Brandon Beane said the team would be open to signing him to a new contract.
SI.com’s Grant Cohn believes the San Francisco 49ers could come calling first, noting that Cooper could be the right addition to bring them back into Super Bowl contention after a down season in 2024.
Amari Cooper Could Add Competition to San Francisco’s Wide Receiving Corps
Cohn noted that the 49ers have some big question marks on offense, with no clear contender to lead the wide receiver room.
“They still have Brandon Aiyuk, but he probably won’t be fully himself until 2026 considering he tore three knee ligaments less than a year ago. The 49ers also have Demarcus Robinson, but he’s facing an early-season suspension,” Cohn wrote.
Cohn added that the 49ers lack a true separation wide receiver.
“That’s not exactly Jauan Jennings, who was their leading receiver last season,” Cohn wrote. “Considering all the cap space the 49ers currently have, they should sign Cooper to a one-year deal and have a wide receiver competition.”
But there could also be lingering questions about Cooper’s viability in the NFL. Buffalo News insider Jay Skurski suggested in April that the relative lack of interest could speak to worry among NFL front offices that he may have lost too much of his athleticism.
âThe market for Cooper is speaking loudly,â Skurski wrote. âTo this point, he has not even taken any reported visits to teams. If the Bills wanted to bring him back, they seemingly would have already done so â unless the sides were so far apart on money that it became clear no deal was going to happen.â
Bills Shaping Up Wide Receiving Corps
If the Bills do have plans to bring back Cooper for the coming season, he would likely face more competition for a spot on the roster. The team has continued to make additions to the wide receiving corps, adding veterans Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore, both of whom are expected to take on significant roles next season.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott has also issued a challenge to second-year receiver Keon Coleman, saying the team wants to see more out of him in 2025. Coleman got off to a strong start, but struggled to replicate the same level of production after missing more than a month due to a wrist injury midway through the season.
Tight end Dalton Kincaid is in a similar situation, with the team saying they wanted to see him grow stronger and more durable. Kincaid has had some good production on the field, but has fallen short of the projections many had when the team traded up in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft to land him.
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