Coming off a surprising 2025 NFL playoff run, the Los Angeles Rams made the difficult decision to release Cooper Kupp after failing to find a suitable trade partner.
Kupp had begun to show signs of decline and found himself as a secondary and even tertiary option in the passing game down the stretch. Kupp announced he and the Rams were working together on finding a trade partner, but once that fell through the team decided to release him and he wound up signing with their NFC rivals the Seattle Seahawks.
Letting go of a franchise icon like Kupp was an unpopular decision among the fanbase, but Los Angeles has not been shy about cutting ties with older veterans on lucrative deals to keep their cap sheet healthy. While it made financial sense to release Kupp, losing him to the Seahawks still stings quite a bit.
Kupp developed a wonderful relationship with Matthew Stafford both on and off the field and the quarterback expressed he was happy to see his friend land somewhere he wanted to be, via Gary Klein of L.A. Times:
“A great teammate, a great Ram — I think everybody here knows that and can appreciate what he was for our team and what he was for this community,” Stafford said. “Happy that he landed somewhere he wanted to be and got the deal he deserved.
“I’ll still stay in touch with him like I always do, and I’ll pull for him as long as we’re not going against each other.”
Kupp was adamant that he could continue playing football at a high level, and he has the opportunity to prove the Rams wrong when he and the Seahawks play the team during the 2025 season. The former Super Bowl MVP endeared himself to Los Angeles for all the work he put in as a player and his community efforts as well.
As Stafford noted, the fans and organization will likely be rooting for Kupp on his new journey though there will be some hard feelings when they face off. The wide receiver will go down as one of the best Rams players in the franchise’s history and it’ll be fun to see him embark on his new chapter.
Cooper Kupp looking forward to play against Rams with Seahawks
Cooper Kupp signing with the Seahawks is hardly a surprise as he is a Washington native who played his college football there. As far as playing the Rams, Kupp admitted he’s looking forward to it as a member of the Seahawks.
