That may have somewhat saved him in the eye of the law, but did not get him any suspension discounts from Roger Goodell, after the league suspended him for the full three games, as is custom in the NFL for a first-time drunk driving affliction.

Wide Receivers the Minnesota Vikings should look to sign/trade for

Now, with Addison out to start the regular season and Justin Jefferson recovering from a “mild” hamstring strain to start MN Vikings training camp, it’s time for general manager Kwesi Adofo- Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell to consider alternative options that are not currently on roster. The list has some intriguing names, too.

Amari Cooper – 31 years old

Arguably the biggest splash on this list, Cooper would be an addition that sticks well beyond the time Addison misses. Last season he split time between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills while making $20 million.

He’s not that player anymore, but he’s just a year removed from a Pro Bowl selection with the Cleveland Browns. Cooper averaged a career-worst 39.1 yards per game and scored just four touchdowns. That said, he may be rejuvenated in an offense that should have plenty of juice.

One year ago, @AmariCooper9 was traded to the Cowboys.

He's done nothing but cook CBs in Dallas 🔥 (via @NFL pic.twitter.com/6dnNp86SiE

— ESPN (@espn) October 22, 2019

The former fourth overall pick is at the end of his career, but he’d push Jalen Nailor down the depth chart and give new starter J.J. McCarthy another legitimate weapon. The Vikings have cap space, and there are worse ways to use it.

Adam Thielen – 34 years old

There’s no real indication that the Carolina Panthers want to trade veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. This would be his third season with them after leaving the Vikings. Of course everyone loves a good reunion story.

Minnesota would likely need to overpay in terms of draft capital in order to bring back their former hometown hero. A sixth or seventh round pick probably doesn’t get it done if the Vikings are the team on the phone.

Bringing Adam Thielen back to Minnesota makes so much sense. He'd cost very little to acquire. Carolina has young receivers who need reps. Thielen was legitimately great in the second half of last year, when Bryce Young was cookin'. And he knows the KOC offense. DO IT! pic.twitter.com/2yOPzGFF0j

— Paul Charchian (@PaulCharchian) August 6, 2025

Related: NFL Agent Crowns Minnesota Vikings Owners

Still, Carolina is not really in a position to compete and stockpiling future assets may be intriguing. Thielen played 10 games last year and scored five touchdowns with 615 receiving yards. His possession and route-running prowess would be a significant addition regardless of the way the rest of the depth chart shakes out.

Brandon Powell – 28 years old

If Adam Thielen is “one of us” then Brandon Powell previously has been one of us as well. The Minnesota Vikings brought Powell over after two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

Kevin O’Connell’s familiarity with the secondary wideout translated into a niche role, and he continued to show purpose each of the past two seasons. While he operated in the return game, Powell also hauled in 36-of-54 passes thrown his way.

Joshua Dobbs to Brandon Powell!

The Vikings take the lead. Wow.

pic.twitter.com/WKIHBtrxtW

— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) November 5, 2023

He’d be a less-than-exciting option, but could help to supplement Nailor’s role as a secondary wideout. Powell has more experience, and could potentially be pushed with a bit more opportunity.

Odell Beckham Jr. – 32 years old

While he is not the elder statesman of the group, Odell Beckham Jr. feels like he has been around forever. Last season he played in nine games with the Miami Dolphins, and it’s clear he is in the twilight of his career.

You aren’t going to get peak New York Giants superstar anymore, but there may still be a usable talent here that can bring some veteran experience. He’s doesn’t need to be the distraction he once was, and Beckham Jr. already has familiarity with O’Connell during their shared time in Los Angeles.

ODELL'S FIRST PLAYOFF TD.

Rams on the board first. #RamsHouse #SuperWildCard

📺: #AZvsLAR on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/55mgYXw7ry

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2022

Related: MN Vikings Starting CB Could Land Returner Job

It would be awesome if he could prop up Nailor and help develop Tai Felton and Silas Bolden. Beckham caught just nine passes last season, but there would be room for him to do that in the first three weeks of the season with Minnesota.

This team may be undefeated, but they are far from flawless. They needs help on the interior of the offensive line, and there are questions surrounding whether or not Ty Chandler is a good enough 2-punch, behind Aaron Jones. They could use more depth on the defensive line and, maybe, another wide receiver?

Minnesota Vikings linked to former 1st round pick

Former Alabama Crimson Tide superstar and 5x Pro Bowl wide receiver, Amari Cooper, currently plays for the Cleveland Browns, who have gotten off to a disastrous 1-4 start. After their most recent loss Sunday, rumors surrounding a possible Cooper trade started flying around hot and heavy.

Amari Cooper ranks 49th among wide receivers with 208 receiving yards in the first 5 weeks but ranks an easy 1st with 653 air yards, 83 more than Rashid Shaheed in 2nd place at the position.

Free Amari.pic.twitter.com/RuUYW3rQms

— Scott Spratt (@Scott_Spratt) October 9, 2024

Then, on Thursday morning, former NFL player turned TV host and NFL insider, Akbar Gbajabiamila (NFL Network) floated Cooper to the Minnesota Vikings. We haven’t heard a lot of trade deadline rumors yet, but with the Vikings being 5-0 and the deadline just three weeks away, this is probably just the start.

It happened while he and the rest of the GMFB crew were talking about possible landing spots for the 30-year-old former 1st round pick. Clearly, he’s getting his info from somewhere. You can hear his coworkers in the background, “what do you got…?”

The #Vikings were listed as a team to be a buyer at this years trade deadline, and a potential landing spot for a former Pro Bowl WR, according to @Akbar_Gbaja:

“How about maybe going out and looking for an Amari Cooper, who is on a struggling #Browns team.”

🎥: @gmfb pic.twitter.com/PgARSgUpT7

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) October 10, 2024

“How about the Minnesota Vikings?… They have TJ Hockenson coming back. You start thinking, ‘what could they do, they could add some depth’. Think about what the Kansas City Chiefs have done. They continuously add depth. Someone gets hurt, they get someone else in there.

How about going out and maybe looking for an Amari Cooper, who’s on a struggling Browns team. [Kwesi Adofo-Mensah] was in Cleveland already, has familiarity with Amari Cooper. Now, all of a sudden, you have depth at the wide receiver position.

You’ve got Justin Jefferson, Addison, Amari Cooper, TJ Hockenson. Now, all of a sudden, you’ve got guys who can, when home field advantage comes around, they’re making it deep, deep, deep and potentially winning a Super Bowl”

Akbar Gbajabiamila – Good Morning Football (NFL Network)

Does Amari Cooper make sense in Minnesota?

So, there are a few angles to take on this. In a lot of ways, Cooper does make a lot of sense for the Vikings. They could use a veteran third wide receiver for Sam Darnold to rely on. Jalen Nailor came out of the preseason on fire, but can’t seem to find Darnold’s eye, once he drops down to WR3.

Without a doubt, Cooper would be a huge upgrade to an already elite group of weapons for Darnold and the Vikings offense. Through the first five weeks of the season, Amari Cooper has caught 20 passes (on 47 targets) for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Related: Former Vikings Top Pick is Changing His Position for New Team

On his career, Cooper is nearing 10,000 total receiving yards (9,694) on his career. He’s also scored 62 total touchdowns. His 8.6 yards per target, during his 10-year NFL career is solid. But in 2024, that number has dropped all the way to 4.4, which tells part of the story on why Cooper wants out of the dogpound.

Amari Cooper was traded for a 5th-round pick.pic.twitter.com/3uaFkTxu6C

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 1, 2022

Amari Cooper lulling the DB to sleep pic.twitter.com/QKGEplYlMg

— Receiver School (@ReceiverSchool) September 22, 2024

The longtime NFL vet still has plenty of tread on the tires, and he’s an unrestricted free agent next season, which is why the Browns are looking to move him. He has baggage, though, in the form of a $22.6 million dead cap hit next season.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Believers are Raking in the Money

Would the Minnesota Vikings want to extend Amari Cooper, if they traded for him prior to the deadline? That would depend on cost. Otherwise, the Browns would have to agree to eat a bunch of that dead cap penalty. Would they do that? Probably depends on how many suitors are competing for Cooper’s services.