The preseason is the time when players on the fringe of the roster try to make the team, and others try to solidify their place on the depth chart. For other players, the preseason is a more serene experience. One of those players who applies to this category is Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The former All-Pro receiver signed with Seattle in the offseason on a three-year, $45 million deal, so his spot on the team is secure. Also, entering his ninth year, Kupp is more than secure in his preparation for the regular season.
Seven snaps were all that was necessary for Kupp this preseason, and it was a successful drive that resulted in a touchdown. Kupp has never been a big fan of playing in preseason games, but he was happy he got in and out, as he expressed to Fox 13’s Curtis Crabtree.
“That was my second or third preseason game ever,” Kupp said on Tuesday. “I’m biased against preseason games, but we did it. We got in and out of there, and it was for a touchdown.”
Kupp is eager to start the regular season and show he can once again be the Super Bowl MVP receiver he once was.
Returning To Form
Cooper Kupp, for the first time in his career, isn’t going to be wearing a Los Angeles Rams uniform. The last few seasons have been frustrating for Kupp as he has battled several injuries. Kupp was last healthy for a full season in 2021, and the end result was one of the great receiver seasons of all time. Kupp was an All-Pro, wide receiver Triple Crown winner, Offensive Player of the Year, and Super Bowl MVP.
Since 2021, Kupp has not put up a 1,000-yard season. He also hasn’t started more than 12 games since then. Kupp is hoping his Seahawks tenure brings not only a change of scenery, but a change of fortune as well. In the meantime, Kupp is excited to go through the process of learning a new offense, as he told King 5.
“It’s been a long time since I learned a new offense, a long time since I sat in a meeting and had to put a face on the board, and what’s this guy’s name?” Kupp said. “That’s a stressful situation. That’s a high-stress situation. It’s good, though. I’m excited about what we’re doing, and it is fun.”
On top of learning a new offense, Kupp is trying to build chemistry with his new quarterback.
Building Chemistry with Sam Darnold
Cooper Kupp isn’t the only new face in Seattle this year. Kupp’s quarterback, Sam Darnold, is also looking for a fresh start in Seattle after reviving his career with the Minnesota Vikings.
Darnold and Kupp worked on their chemistry early in the offseason. Kupp had incredible chemistry with his former quarterback, Matthew Stafford, but he’ll have to work extra hard to develop the same chemistry with Darnold. Both are up to the task.
Darnold, in an interview with RG.org, discussed his growing relationship with Kupp.
“We’ve been out for the last two weeks or so, Coop has been great,” says Darnold in a one-on-one interview with RG about Kupp. “He’s such a hard worker. Obviously, that’s well-documented, just how hard he works. I feel like he’s always in the quarterback room. If I can’t find Cooper in the building, I always feel like I can go to the quarterback room and find him; he’s just always got his head in the playbook and trying to learn this as fast as possible.”
Kupp’s meticulous work ethic is a part of the reason he has rarely needed the preseason to get ready for the regular season, and why he’ll be ready to go when the Seahawks kick off their season against the San Francisco 49ers.
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