Cooper Kupp and the Rams’ big picture

(News4usOnline) – Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead offered a blunt assessment during a Zoom call of the situation around wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The outlook on the possibility of Kupp remaining with the team appears to be blurred but clear at the same time. 

The chances of Kupp being a Ram after eight seasons with the organization, is almost slim to none, but there is a slight chance he does come back. However, the team’s signing of Davante Adams to a two-year contract is an unquestioned signal that the Rams are moving on.  

“There is a scenario, but when you get into probabilities that would be the least likely. I don’t want to tell you ‘no’ today and then next week he’s a Ram,” Snead said days before the Rams signed Adams. “You see what we’re trying to do. We’re working to try to find a partner and a next chapter for Cooper and ourselves.”

Timeline to a Decision

For a player who perhaps embody the spirt of the Rams-on and off the football field-more than anyone else on the roster, this is probably a watershed moment. The Rams has been entertaining ways to trade Kupp to a possible suitor. 

Snead made it clear that even thought the team and organization appreciates the contributions that Kupp has made, this might be the best time for both parties to go separate ways. 

“Well, we sat down with Cooper and said this was definitely something we were going to look into based on the course of the year, especially there at the trade deadline where people were knocking on the door to see if we were willing to trade him,” Snead said. “Moving forward, we felt like this could be a time for the next chapter for both parties. Even though obviously all the chapters up until now have been definitely very fruitful and impactful, all you can think of is this Super Bowl MVP and we wouldn’t be champions without Cooper on that field that night.”

The Business Approach

The reality of the Cooper Kupp era coming to a close as a member of the Los Angeles Rams is hard to believe. But this is football. This is the National Football League (NFL). 

It is a business. And with those terms comes the hard truth that players, no matter how great they are for a season, sooner or later, becomes expendable. 

Being released, going into retirement or being outright cut becomes a cold game to play for those athletes making a living on the football field. Even the great ones, when they can no longer do the things that made them great, become sacrificial lambs to the salary cap.

They become the objects to younger, faster and better players hungry enough to put them on the unemployment line. The bottom line is that every business wants the best and the brightest. There was a time when Kupp was the best and brightest of wide receivers in the NFL. 

Kupp’s star was at its brightest when he caught 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns during the 2021 NFL season. During that incredible year, Kupp averaged 114.5 yards per game in receiving. He was named AP Offensive Player of the Year. 

Kupp capped off his phenomenal season with Super Bowl LVI most valuable player honors as he helped the Rams secure a 23-20 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was truly a magical ride for Kupp that season. 

A Decline in Productivity

Unfortunately, for Kupp and the Rams, the veteran wide receiver’s magic has been somewhat missing since that 2021 season. 

Hampered by injuries the past three seasons, Kupp has not been the same explosive wideout the Rams and their fans has been accustomed to. In 2022, Kupp played just nine games. In 2023 and 2024, Kupp played 12 games in each of those seasons. His number of catches and receiving yards dipped. 

In 2022, Kupp was on his way to another blockbuster year as he caught 75 passes for 812 yards at just the halfway point of the season. He suffered a high ankle sprain and had to have surgery, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. Obviously missing the usual “Cooper” juice, Kupp was not able to get his groove back for the 2023 season, despite catching 59 passes for 737 yards. 

During the 2024 season, Kupp caught 67 passes for 710 yards and six touchdowns. He only averaged 59 yards receiving per game. Kupp has spent his first eight seasons in the NFL all with the Rams. His coach during this stretch has been LA’s leading man Sean McVay. 

Having to part ways with Kupp or even considering the most consistent wideout for the Rams under his watch, as possible trade material, has not been easy for McVay.

“This guy has changed my life for the better. We’ve had eight years together,” McVay said. “These decisions, similar to Matthew [Stafford], are not made as a separate entity. These are for the team. You’re ultimately trying to put the puzzle together and with a lot of thought and consideration, we just felt like that was the best direction for our football team.” 

“It doesn’t take away the love, respect, and gratitude that you have for what he’s done, but it just came down to what we think is best in terms of putting together the whole puzzle. There are obviously a lot of layers to that,” McVay added.