The Los Angeles Rams decided to move forward without Cooper Kupp this past offseason, marking the end of a 104-game era that included a historic 2022 triple crown receiving season, a Super Bowl ring, and a significant impact on and off the field in LA.
Kupp played for the Rams from 2017 until last year, raking in 634 receptions for 7,776 yards and 57 touchdowns. He was never the league's fastest wideout, nor was he ever the best, even in that remarkable '22 year when he led the league in, well, everything a wideout can.
Yet he was one of the Rams' locker room staple leaders, and he garnered the admiration and respect only a quality football player could from his teammates and coaching staff.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp reflects on facing the team he won a Super Bowl with
So, returning to the home and team to which you gave your blood, sweat, and tears for eight years would invite a plethora of emotions leading up to a game in which your team needs to win.
Kupp faced that reality last week, while his Seattle Seahawks prepared to face their NFC West division rival. While the return had to have been bittersweet, Kupp sure would have loved to have left with the win.
The emergence of sensational second-year player Puka Nacua almost certainly played a role in the Rams' decision to release Kupp. Nacua was amazing last year, and he's only built on everything this year, well on the way to elite wideout status — the makings of a future "one of the best" receivers in the NFL. Of course, most would say he has already arrived in that space.
Of all the teams Kupp could have signed with, he chose the Rams' division rival, the Seahawks, and both parties just had their first taste of opposing combat this past weekend. Kupp wasn't much of a factor, catching just three balls for 23 yards.
But was his lack of production entirely on him? No, LA's suffocating disruption and pressure on Sam Darnold, and the subsequent four interceptions he threw, were part of Kupp's flat game.
For Kupp, the moments before and after the game were the more welcoming, warming aspects of his afternoon. Unfortunately, the Seahawks' loss was enough to put a damper on things. That said, Kupp's reflection on the game remained positive, and as ever the professional, Kupp was locked in and ready for game time when it arrived.
“Yeah, definitely different,” Kupp said when asked about facing his old team. “It was good seeing some guys come out early, and it was good seeing some of the guys over there, but it was nice to get into the pregame routine and that build-up. So used to just building up into being locked in for the game. So once the game started, it was just about playing football.”
Kupp is in year one of a three-year, $45 million deal with the Seahawks. However, there is no guarantee that Kupp plays out the full three years given the contract's structure. The deal has built-in flexibility, making it potentially a one-year contract, with team options for the following seasons.
Kupp's usage this season hasn't been what he's used to. Jaxon Smith-Njigba's phenomenal start and a pace in which he doesn't appear to be in the mood to slow down has likely hurt Kupp's production to a degree. Darnold and JSN have created one of the league's best quarterback-to-wideout connections, making the explosive wideout Darnold's primary target.
Smith-Njigba is Seattle's undisputed No. 1 receiver, and that will continue into the future. As for Kupp, right now, there is no telling what his future in Seattle looks like. In the present, he can still provide Darnold with the perfect security blanket, and at times this season, Kupp has shown he can still travel downfield effectively, and he's proven to be reliable when healthy.
On top of that, his time with the Rams crafted Kupp into the perfect veteran presence to a young receiver like Smith-Njigba — a veteran who knows what it takes to win, and win at the highest level. Kupp's leadership is invaluable to Seattle as they continue to wade through a tightly competitive division and championship aspirations in tow.