Cooper Kupp signs with Seahawks; which wide receivers are left for Patriots in free agency?
Cooper Kupp will not be joining the New England Patriots this offseason. The veteran wide receiver reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks on Friday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
While the Patriots, Cowboys, and Saints expressed interest in signing Kupp, it doesn't really sound like other teams had a shot. The Washington native and former Eastern Washington Eagle wanted to remain on the West Coast, and he got the contract he was seeking with Seattle set to pay him $45 million.
Kupp is no longer the game-changing receiver he was for a good chunk of his career and hasn't played a full season in three years, but he would have been a nice upgrade for New England. He would have given Maye a veteran pass-catcher and the Patriots an adult in their receiver's room.
Mike Vrabel and company will now have to look elsewhere to fill one of the biggest holes remaining on the roster.
Where can the Patriots go at receiver?
The Patriots really need a No. 1 receiver, but that player isn't really out there anymore in free agency. And unless the Patriots are really high on Travis Hunter as a receiver (and get lucky on draft day for that matter), they're going to have to hit the trade market to find one.
But there are several good vets remaining in free agency who could make a difference for the Patriots.
Amari Cooper
Cooper will turn 31 in June but has been steady and solid for the last decade, playing for the Raiders, Cowboys, Browns, and Bills. He split last season between Cleveland and Buffalo and finished the year with 44 receptions on 85 targets for 547 yards and four touchdowns. That was a down season for Cooper, but he racked up a career-high 1,250 receiving yards off 72 receptions for the Browns in 2023 to earn the fifth Pro Bowl nod of his career. He's had over 1,000 receiving yards in seven of his 10 NFL seasons.
Stefon Diggs
Patriots fans are familiar with Diggs from his days with the Bills, when he made four straight Pro Bowls from 2020-23. Going back to his time with the Vikings, he had over 1,000 receiving yards in six straight seasons before that streak ended last season.
Diggs had 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games for the Texans in 2024, but his season ended early when he tore his ACL in late October. The 31-year-old likely won't be ready to go until the team is well into training camp, but he is still a dangerous offensive weapon who would be a big upgrade to the receiving corps in New England.
Brandin Cooks
The one-time Patriot is also 31 and dealt with an injury in 2024, missing seven games in the middle of the season with a knee issue. Cooks played in 10 games for the Cowboys last season and finished the year with 26 receptions for 259 yards and three touchdowns. He had 54 receptions and eight touchdowns for Dallas in 2023.
Keenan Allen
The 32-year-old Allen spent last season in Chicago, where he caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns for the Bears. He spent his first 11 NFL seasons with the Chargers and made six Pro Bowls from 2017-23.
Tyler Lockett
Lockett was a surprising released by the Seahawks earlier this week, after he had spent his entire 10-year career in Seattle. He'll turn 33 in September but has been consistent throughout his career. Lockett played in all 17 games in each of his last two seasons, and has missed just two games total over the last six seasons.
Lockett had four straight 1,000-receiving yard seasons from 2019-22, and had 49 receptions for 600 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2024.
