The Los Angeles Rams head into the 2025 offseason with several roster questions. For Cooper Kupp, that means spending at least the early part of the offseason in limbo.
Kupp said he wanted to return. He also acknowledged frustration and the business of the NFL.
“Who knows what’s going to happen. A lot of stuff’s out of my control, and we’ll see what it’s going to be. There was, obviously, stuff [trade rumors] that was going on … early on the season, and we’ll see. I don’t have any clarity on what that’s going to look like or anything like that. So, yeah. Obviously, would love to be in LA, but I don’t know what that’s going to look like,” Kupp said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind I want to play football. I feel like I got a lot of good football left in me. So, no, I definitely will be playing. I will be playing football next year. So, that much I know.”
Kupp had five grabs for 61 yards in the Rams’ 28-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Playoff.
The Rams selected Kupp with the No. 69 overall pick in the 2017 draft. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021 after leading the league in receptions, yards, and receiving scores.
Kupp has battled injuries throughout his career, including 2024. He has not played in a full regular-season slate since 2021, missing at least five games in the three seasons before the 2025 campaign. He had 67 receptions, 710 yards, and 6 touchdowns in 2024.
Pro Football Focus gave Kupp a career-low grade for the second straight season.
Cooper Kupp Admits ‘Frustration’ While Rams WR Room Dynamic Has Changed
GettyPuka Nacua #17 and Cooper Kupp #10 of the Los Angeles Rams look on during a game against the Buffalo Bills.
“It’s been frustrating,” Kupp told reporters on January 20. “Just for me, personally, feeling like, man, there’s things I’m watching on film, feeling good about the football I’m playing. But production-wise, it’s not showing up, and a lot of stuff’s out outside of my control. And it is frustrating.
“At the same time, we’re finding ways along that stretch to win games, finding ways to come out of those games with Ws. And even though it wasn’t pretty a lot of the times offensively, we got it done.”
Kupp saw the fourth-most targets per game of his career in 202. But his 10.6 yards per reception ties the worst mark of his career.
Adding to the uncertainty for Kupp is the already-established presence of Puka Nacua.
Nacua led the team in targets during the regular season despite playing one fewer game than Kupp who was No. 2. Rookie sixth-round pick Jordan Whittington also flashed his potential during the season.
“So, yeah, there’s frustration there,” Kupp said. “I want to be able to feel like I’m impacting games. And that’s done on a much more discreet level, I feel like, for a lot of these games. And that is what it is. But I can look back on the season, be happy with what I put on tape and things that I was being asked to do, feel like I was executing my job, and that’s all you can do.”
The Rams hold the No. 26 overall pick in the 2024 draft, another path to a receiver if they move on from Kupp.
Potential Financial Ramifications of Rams’ Decision on Cooper Kupp
GettyCooper Kupp #10 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on during warm ups before a game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Kupp is under contract for two more seasons on a three-year, $80.1 million contract. That is significant because the dead money that the Rams could incur by parting with Kupp changes drastically depending on when and what move they make.
Cutting Kupp, even with a post-June 1 designation, would incur $14.8 million in dead money with $15 million in savings, per Over The Cap, with nothing else in return.
Restructuring or extending Kupp could create as much as $14 million in additional space.
There is a drawback to those options. The Rams could need to push money into future years to make them work. That could prove detrimental amid the uncertainty around quarterback Matthew Stafford’s playing future, though he too hinted at a return in 2025.
A trade, with a post-June 1 designation, would clear $20 million in space with a $9.8 dead cap charge.
The added benefit is whatever player or draft capital the Rams would acquire in such a trade.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Rams WR Cooper Kupp Makes Clear Statement Amid ‘Frustration’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.