Receiver Cooper Kupp has confirmed that the Los Angeles Rams are looking to trade him after spending eight seasons with the team, and he is not happy about it.
The Super Bowl 56 MVP shared the news on social media Monday, saying that the Rams told him they “will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships.”
Kupp, who was named the 2021 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, essentially said goodbye to Los Angeles, the city where he has spent his entire career.
“I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA,” Kupp wrote. “Still, if there’s one thing that I have learned over the years: there are so many things that are out of your control, but it is how you respond to these things that you will look back on and remember.”
Kupp’s future with the Rams had been uncertain for some time. He is under contract for two more years as part of a three-year, $80.1 million extension he signed after a historic 2021 season. He was set to take up nearly $30 million in cap space next season, but the Rams could clear most of that by releasing or trading him with a post-June 1 designation.
“Preparations start now for 2025,” Kupp wrote. “Highly motivated, as healthy as ever, and looking forward to playing elite football for years to come. Love you guys… But coming for it all.”
The Rams considered trading Kupp last October after a rough start to the season, but decided to keep him. Los Angeles has been willing to move on from stars in the past, as General Manager Les Snead traded or released players like Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, and Robert Woods even before their massive contract extensions kicked in.
The Rams did not comment on Kupp’s post.
Kupp has been one of the top receivers in the NFL whenever healthy. The Rams drafted him in the third round from Eastern Washington just after hiring Sean McVay as head coach. Kupp has been a key part of McVay’s offense, recording 634 catches for 7,776 yards and 57 touchdowns.
“I have taken so much pride in playing alongside my teammates for the LA community, so thank you for embracing my family and making this such a special place for us,” Kupp wrote.
Kupp led the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and touchdowns (16) three seasons ago, winning the receiving triple crown. In the playoffs, he capped his dominant stretch by winning Super Bowl MVP and scoring the winning touchdown in Los Angeles’ victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, Kupp’s production has slowed in the last three seasons. After missing four games this season due to an ankle injury, he struggled in the final stretch, recording just 12 catches for 162 yards in the last five regular-season games, marking the least productive stretch of his career.
In the playoffs, Kupp had six catches for 90 yards and no touchdowns in two games.
Puka Nacua, a former fifth-round pick, has emerged as a top receiver for the Rams in the past two seasons under Kupp’s guidance. Nacua has averaged 88.4 yards per game, one of the highest averages in NFL history.
“So I thought it was just the NBA trade season,” Nacua wrote on social media.
Nacua will now be the Rams’ primary target in the passing game, along with whoever is the team’s quarterback next season.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford recently said he would take some time to decide whether to return for his 17th NFL season. Stafford has a close relationship with both Kupp and Nacua.
The Rams’ passing game could face major changes, even if Stafford returns. Along with Kupp’s potential departure, the Rams could lose veteran receivers Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, and Tyler Johnson to free agency. Pass game coordinator Nick Caley also left the team to become the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans.
Kupp will be 32 years old next season. Before his record-breaking 2021 campaign, he had three straight seasons with over 90 catches, but since then, he hasn’t had more than 75 catches or 812 receiving yards in a season.
