After another good but not good enough season, the Los Angeles Rams face a major decision about one of the best players and fixtures on their team for almost the entire time they have been back southern California. The two-time All Pro who was also 2021 Offensive Player of the Year has been one of the NFL’s most reliable and productive slot receivers since he came into the league in 2017, drafted in the third round out of Eastern Washington.
That receiver, of course, is 31-year-old Cooper Kupp. Though he has been limited by injuries for the past three seasons, and missed five games in 2024, Kupp was still a contributor to the Rams fourth NFC West Division title since relocating to Los Angeles in 2017 from St. Louis where the franchise had played since 1995.
Starting life as the Cleveland Rams in 1937, the team moved west in 1946, planting their flag at the Los Angeles Coliseum where they played their home games until 1980, when they moved south down the I-5 freeway to Anaheim. The Rams shared Anaheim Stadium (now called Angel Stadium) with baseball’s California Angels (now called the Los Angeles Angels) through the 1994 season.
Kupp a Fixture Since Rams Return to Los Angeles
Since heading back to Los Angeles â actually Inglewood just south of L.A. where they now play in brand-new SoFi Stadium â Kupp has been one of the Rams’ most important pieces. He caught the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford with 1:25 left on the clock in Super Bowl LVI. That catch completed a Rams comeback to give them a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and the franchise’s first and only Super Bowl championship in Los Angeles (the St. Louis Rams won the Super Bowl in the 1999 season).
Now, however, Kupp appears to be on his way out of Los Angeles. If they cut Kupp before June 1, the Rams free up $7.52 million in cap space. The receiver signed a three-year, $80.1 million contract in 2022, but due to built-in bonuses and other provisions, his base salary for 2025 would be $12.5 million, with only about $5 million guaranteed.
Or the Rams could trade Kupp. Either way, the Minnesota Vikings appear to be a likely destination for the Yakima, Washington, native. Fansided NFL columnist John Buhler wrote on Monday, “I would be lying to you if I did not think the Minnesota Vikings would be a great fit for Kupp as well.”
One of the reasons: Kupp would be reunited with head coach Kevin O’Connell, who was the Rams’ offensive coordinator when Kupp turned in his career-best season in 2021, leading the NFL in touchdown catches (16), receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and average yards per game (114.5).
New Era for Pats Makes New England ‘Obvious’ For Kupp
But another writer for that site, Christopher Kline, argues that there is only one “obvious” destination for Kupp â the New England Patriots. Despite back-to-back 4-13 seasons, there is optimism around Gillette Stadium after the hiring of new head coach Mike Vrabel and, in his second return to New England, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels â and of course, 2024 No. 3 overall draft pick Drake Maye, who showed tremendous promise in his 12 starts as a rookie.
“With Vrabel taking over as head coach and installing a distinctly Patriots-y scheme (Josh McDaneis, anybody?), Drake Maye is positioned some something that smells an awful lot like success,” Kline wrote on Tuesday. “As a rookie, Maye didn’t really have an established WR1 to lean on late in games, nor to look to for quick hits when the pocket collapsed. Kupp can fulfill that role.”
Joining the Patriots would also be reunion of sorts for Kupp. He was college teammates with New England wide receiver Kendrick Bourne from 2013 to 2016. Bourne has already taken to social media, posting a message to Kupp saying, “Come to NE @CooperKupp weâll take care of u lol all the targets!”
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