Bear Digest

2025 NFL free agency prediction has Chicago Bears landing veteran star wide receiver

The Chicago Bears will be in the market for a wide receiver to replace Keenan Allen, and according to this 2025 free agency prediction, Ben Johnson gets a former Alabama star for his offense.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears traded for wide receiver Keenan Allen during the 2024 NFL offseason with the hope that he'd provide an elite security blanket for then-rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. And while Allen was solid last season, he was far from the All-Pro wideout we were accustomed to seeing during his time with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Allen is expected to sign elsewhere once 2025 free agency begins next week, leaving a void in the Bears' passing game that will likely require another veteran to fill.

According to the Sporting News' Vinnie Ayer, that veteran replacement might actually be an upgrade.

Enter Amari Cooper.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (18) makes a catch against the Kansas City Chiefs
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"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.

Cooper is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. He finished 2024 with just 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns between two teams (Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills) and failed to emerge as the Bills' go-to-guy after Buffalo traded a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a seventh-round pick in 2026 for him.

Still, Cooper has enough juice left in his legs to fill the No. 3 role in the Chicago Bears' passing game. He'd offer more explosive playmaking ability downfield for Caleb Williams while also providing a strong contested-catch option in the intermediate passing game.

Amari Cooper's projected contract makes him a reasonable target for the Bears, too.

According to Spotrac, Cooper should land a deal that pays $14.2 million per season, and he's predicted to land a two-year, $28.4 million contract in free agency. He'd represent a savings for the Bears, who paid Keenan Allen $18.1 million last season.

A Bears offense that features DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cooper would arguably be an upgrade over last year's receiver trio, and if Chicago lands a quality pass-catching prospect in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams will once again be set up for success as he enters his critical second season in the NFL.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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