The Cleveland Browns traded Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills ahead of the deadline last season, moving on from one of the better wide receivers in the NFL at the time.
Cooper, however, struggled with the Bills, catching just 20 passes for 297 yards in eight games. During his time with the Browns, he was a consistent 1,o00-plus yard receiver, and earned his fifth Pro Bowl nod in 2023 after posting a 1,250 yard season.
A free agent, the Bills might allow him to walk as they didn’t get enough out of the veteran. A team close to winning a Super Bowl needs a true No. 1 wide receiver, and Cooper wasn’t that.
Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News doesn’t expect him to return, predicting the former Browns star will join the Chicago Bears to replace Keenan Allen.
“The Bears can move on from Keenan Allen and replace him with the younger Cooper to better complement D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze with route versatility,” Iyer wrote.
Why He Could Return to Buffalo
While his first season with the Buffalo Bills didn’t go as planned, Cooper showed he could put up big numbers with the Cleveland Browns.
If he could do that with the Browns and a brutal quarterback room during his time with the organization, why wouldn’t he be able to do that with Josh Allen?
Cooper also dealt with injuries during his stint with the Bills, so he could be better when fully healthy.
NFL.com analyst Matt Okada believes a return is possible, but named a few other suitors.
“I’d project him to go to a team where he can be a 1A or 1B — rather than a 150-target No. 1 or a distant No. 2 — for a talented passer.
“A return to Buffalo, where he’d get to spend the offseason and preseason preparing with Josh Allen, might make the most sense, but a trip to Denver with Bo Nix, Houston with C.J. Stroud or Washington with Jayden Daniels could work, as well. I will be much more concerned about a bust-type year if he ends up with the Raiders (again), Saints, Steelers or another team of their ilk,” Okada wrote.
Different Analyst Views Cooper Returning As a ‘Surprise’
First impressions are essential, and after what he did with the Cleveland Browns, the Buffalo Bills might think that player is behind him.
The Browns didn’t extend Cooper, but there was more than one reason for that. The Browns had many other needs, and a lack of money, making things difficult.
But for the Bills, Bill Barnwell of ESPN believes a reunion would be a “surprise,” adding that he likely won’t return to what he once was.
“The Browns didn’t want to extend Cooper after his Pro Bowl season in 2023. It would be a surprise if he returned to the Bills in 2025.
“He was a below-average wide receiver in 2024, and that’s usually going to mean a modest free agent market for a player who will be 31 in June. I would be a little nervous he’s going to defy the odds and prove yet another team wrong for writing him off,” Barnwell wrote.
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