The Free Agent Who Can Fix the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings should add a wide receiver. There — we said it.
The Vikings could solve a major roster concern with one free agent addition, and speculation is heating up about who might be the perfect fit for the offense.
Injuries and suspensions have juddered the wide receiver room this summer, and the franchise should simply add one more pass catcher as an insurance policy.
It doesn’t have to be complicated or controversial. And that’s why Amari Cooper would be a smart fit.
The Vikings Should Sign Amari Cooper
The purple team could stand to onboard more WR depth.
The Best WR on the Open Market Is … Amari Cooper
Cooper tabulated 1,250 receiving yards in 2023. Two years ago. You’re welcome to close this article now, as that should be enough proof for the case supporting Cooper to the Vikings.
He encountered a down season in 2024 with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills, and yes, he likely won’t log 1,250 yards for Minnesota in 2025. But the purple team doesn’t need that from him. It needs something in the ballpark of 500-800 yards.
The 2023 campaign was not long ago — remember Joshua Dobbs electrifying the Twin Cities? — so it’s not like Minnesota would be calling upon Cooper to rekindle his flair from five years ago. As recently as 2023, the man was a Top 15 wideout, and no team has signed him through five months of free agency.
Guaranteed Production from Cooper
Cooper won’t need much on-the-job training. He’s been doing this since 2015. He’s seen some things.
The Vikings also have the strange perk of Cooper being faded last year in Buffalo. That is: Kevin O’Connell could load up on aerial targets from J.J. McCarthy to Cooper in the first three games, and then fade him — like the Bills did last year — when the mainstay wide receivers return.
He may not be be utterly offended; he went through the song and dance last year. Cooper is accustomed to WR1 duty. He can enjoy a WR2 workload in Minnesota until that’s no longer required and slip into a WR3 role.
No Jordan Addison for 3 Weeks
Jordan Addison will not play football for the Vikings until September 28th in Dublin, Ireland. He’ll miss the season’s first three games due to a suspension.
A dynamic playmaker who’s damn near impossible to replace, Addison has built quite the reputation and resume. During his prime, Cooper built a similar body of work and then some. He can seamlessly fill the Addison role for three games and is probably the best option on the open market for the task, even if he’s eight years older than Addison.
Rondale Moore Out for All of 2025
Meanwhile, Rondale Moore will miss the entire season with another bad knee. The man can’t catch a break. Moore may not have been Minnesota’s savior in 2025, but he was on deck to earn a roster spot and likely fill the WR4 job.
The Moore injury bumped the WR priority up for the Vikings, and thankfully for their sake, a five-time Pro Bowler in Cooper is staring them in the face. The solution is gettable.
Shakiness from “Other” Vikings WRs
Jalen Nailor, the club’s WR3, has a hand injury, with no clear details about his prognosis as of early Monday morning, August 18th. Lucky Jackson, a training camp standout, played buffoonishly in the second preseason game against the New England Patriots. Tai Felton is a rookie, and trusting a first-year weapon from Round 3 with WR2-WR3 responsibilities is risky.
After those players, Minnesota would bank on unknown undrafted free-agent wide receivers if it doesn’t sign Cooper or someone adjacent to his skill set.
That’s a lot of dominoes, teetering on a house of cards scenario.
The Latest on Cooper
Bleacher Report‘s Kristopher Knox wrote about Cooper last week, connecting him to the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills as the wisest landing spots.
He wrote, “The San Francisco 49ers appear unlikely to have wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the start of 2025 as he continues to recover from last year’s season-ending knee injury. The 49ers also dealt Deebo Samuel in the spring, leaving Jauan Jennings to serve as Brock Purdy’s top wideout.”
“Unfortunately, Jennings suffered a calf injury early in camp that could potentially sideline him for some time. Amari Cooper, who remains a rangy target and precise route-runner, could aid San Francisco as a perimeter target.”
Cooper turned 31 this summer.
Knox continued, “While Cooper didn’t have impressive numbers with the Buffalo Bills or Cleveland Browns in 2024 (547 yards, 4 TDs), he had bad QB play in Cleveland and was learning a new offense in Buffalo. He’s the most prolific receiver still available now that Keenan Allen has rejoined the Los Angeles Chargers.”
“A return to Buffalo could also make sense, as the Bills are dealing with the absence of Khalil Shakir (high-ankle sprain).”
CBS Sports‘ Cody Benjamin also mentioned the Pittsburgh Steelers as a destination for a player like Cooper last month: “Their perimeter depth is still pretty lacking thanks to George Pickens’ move to the Cowboys, with replacement-level reserves like Robert Woods and Scotty Miller in line for backup duties.”
“Both Allen and Cooper are precisely the kind of crisp route-runners that Rodgers would surely endorse, and it’s not like their entry would threaten too many of Metcalf’s opportunities as the bona fide No. 1.”
Even if it’s not the Vikings, Cooper should have a new employer before too long. He’s the most productive wideout on the open market.
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