Every NFL team has a handful of tried-and-true veterans who not just lead on the field, but off it as well: in the locker room, on the practice field, and in film sessions. The Seattle Seahawks are blessed with several accomplished NFL veterans, and they're all the better for it.
Defensive veterans like DeMarcus Lawrence, Ernest Jones IV, and Leonard Williams have shown their invaluable impact each season they've been in Seattle. It's no wonder the Seahawks defense is so in tune and aligned in its mission.
On offense, nine-year veteran quarterback Sam Darnold has immersed himself in Seattle as a leader, and the same can be said for two-time champion Cooper Kupp.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba likens Seattle Seahawks teammate Cooper Kupp to another coach in the room
Kupp is entering his second season with the Seahawks after achieving a Hall of Fame-worthy career with the Los Angeles Rams over the eight seasons prior. Now a veteran on the back half of his football journey, he's a natural-born leader if there ever was one, and according to fellow Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kupp is so much more than another pass-catcher.
Kupp may not rack up the same amount of yards he did during his Rams days, nor is he a No. 1 target anymore in Seattle. He is still a solid No. 2 and a primary weapon for Darnold, but Kupp's impact in Seattle goes far beyond his yards, touchdowns, and receptions, and Smith-Njigba knows this all too well.
While Kupp and Smith-Njigba gear up for another season, hoping to expand their offense to another level even greater than last season, the former Super Bowl MVP's role is a dual one: wide receiver and coach? Yes, coach. At least, that's how Smith-Njigba thinks of Kupp. Not only that, but according to the rising wideout, Kupp is someone you can follow, and Smith-Njigba plans on doing exactly that.
“He [Kupp] brings a high level of confidence and a high level of learning and understanding what we want to do and what the defense is trying to do,” Smith-Njigba said, via the team’s official website. “Like I said before, it’s like having an extra coach out there. Everybody trusts him. He’s our leader in the receiving room and on the team. If you follow him, you’re doing something right. You’re good.”
Both players clearly have a great relationship on and off the field, but their connection as wide receivers is also intriguing. Between the two of them, Smith-Njigba and Kupp rank in the top 10 among wide receivers with single-season receiving yards. Kupp is second behind Detroit Lions legend Calvin Johnson, and Smith-Njigba ranks eighth.
Kupp's impact with the Seahawks is so valuable; it's better that the Seahawks didn't move on from him this offseason, as rumors stipulated. How much longer Kupp remains in Seattle is a future problem, but not a problem today.
Today, he's essential to the Seahawks' leadership core, the wide receiver room, and the Seahawks' offense. Maybe one day, even one of their coaches.
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