The Los Angeles Rams may have lit a fire under former franchise star and All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
Now a member of the Seattle Seahawks, Kupp, the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year, could be positioned for a “bounce-back” campaign, according to former sports agent Joel Corry, now an analyst for CBS Sports.
That could spell bad news for the Rams at critical points in the 2025 regular season.
Cooper Kupp Set Up to Exact Revenge Against Rams
GettyCooper Kupp #10 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Ankle and hamstring injuries and 2023 fifth-round pick Puka Nacua’s emergence made the Rams comfortable moving on from Kupp. The Rams released Kupp in March after a trade market never materialized. He had two years worth $39.58 million remaining on his contract. Kupp, who turned 32 in June, hadn’t had a 1,000-yard receiving season since 2021 when he won the receiving triple crown,” Corry wrote on August 29.
“Kupp gets to face the Rams twice a season because he stayed in the NFC West. He signed a three-year, $45 million deal with $26.5 million in guarantees a few days after the Rams released him.”
The Rams will face Kupp and the Seahawks in Weeks 11 and 16, both of which come after they will have gone up against formidable opponents in the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers and the reigning NFC North champion Detroit Lions.
Rams’ Decision a Reality Check for Cooper Kupp
GettyCooper Kupp #10 of the Seattle Seahawks looks on before facing the Las Vegas Raiders.
Corry noted that the Rams’ decision was not based on age, with Kupp turning 32 during the 2025 offseason.
They replaced him with six-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams.
“The Rams clearly didn’t have an issue paying an older wide receiver. Davante Adams, who will be 33 in late December, was signed to a two-year, $44 million contract with $26 million fully guaranteed.”
What Adams has over Kupp is two-fold: consistency and durability, posting five straight 1,000-yard seasons and playing in at least 14 games every campaign since 2019.
The Rams need that to continue for them this season.
Kupp was on a three-year, $80.1 million pact with the Rams before his release. But he missed five games in the 2023 and 2024 regular seasons, and he had not logged a full regular-season slate of games (including Week 18 rest) since that 2021 Super Bowl-winning season.
The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar also noted an aspect of the Rams’ offense that Adams should open up, which Kupp no longer could.
Verticality.
“These four weeks of training camp practices have confirmed what Kupp’s film from last season revealed,” Dugar wrote on August 14. “He’s still got plenty left in the tank. Kupp is not a speedster down the field.”
Cooper Kupp in Familiar Situation With Seahawks
GettyCooper Kupp #10 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before facing the Las Vegas Raiders.
The change of scenery did not change everything for Kupp, who goes from mentoring Nacua to playing the sage role to Seahawks teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a former first-round pick entering his third NFL season.
Dugar detailed how the new duo can “co-exist” in new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme. He also came away with a clear idea of how Kupp can contribute.
“Kupp is at his best when operating from the slot. But so is Smith-Njigba. The goal for offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and his staff is to maximize the talents of both players,” Dugar wrote. “Kupp can … get open against Devon Witherspoon. This stands out because Witherspoon, a two-time Pro Bowler, is arguably the best coverage defender in a Seattle secondary that might be one of the bests in the league this season.
“Kupp puts a ton of pressure on slot defenders.”
The Rams could face Kupp and the Seahawks with significant questions about their secondary, which adds another layer of intrigue to the future meetings. Both should be emotionally charged on many levels.
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