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Cooper Kupp began his Rams career as a largely unheralded third-round draft pick. He finished it as one of the top players in franchise history.
On Wednesday, the Rams parted ways with Kupp by releasing the record-setting wide receiver.
“A pillar of this franchise and community,” the Rams said on social media. “There will never be another like No. 10.”
Kupp’s release ended an eight-season run for a player who became a pillar of coach Sean McVay’s offense and earned honors such as 2021 NFL offensive player of the year and Super Bowl LVI most valuable player.
Kupp caught 634 catches for 7,776 yards and 57 touchdowns. He ranks third in franchise history in receptions and touchdown catches and fourth in receiving yards.
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp talks about what it’s like knowing his days with the Rams are almost certainly over amid the team’s decision to trade him.
“Eight years of incredible memories,” Kupp wrote on social media. “We talked often about the Rams being back in LA and how we would grow to be something special here. And there was frustration early on around getting the buy in from the people of LA.
“But we knew at the end of the day, it’s about providing moments. Shared experiences. The things that parents and their children will talk about and remember forever.
“That is what makes the ending of these last eight years so difficult. It’s the ending of something we have enjoyed building with you.
“Thank you for these shared moments. Thank you LA for welcoming my family with open arms and allowing us to grow here.”
Kupp’s release closes a chapter that began Feb. 3 when he posted that the Rams informed him they would seek a trade, a move he openly questioned.
“I don’t agree with the decision,” he wrote, “and always believed it was going to begin and end in L.A.”
It might have, if Kupp had been able to avoid injuries, and if the extension he signed after the 2021 season had not become a financial burden.
Kupp, who will be 32 next season, was due to earn $12.5 million next season — with a $7.5-million roster bonus due Saturday— on a salary-cap number of $29.8 million, according to Overthecap.com.
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1. Cooper Kupp celebrates after making a touchdown catch against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022. 2. Cooper Kupp, right, holds the Vince Lombardi trophy next to Rams wide receiver Robert Woods and family during the Rams’ Super Bowl celebration at the Coliseum on Feb. 16, 2022. 3. Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald hugs Cooper Kupp after the team’s win in Super Bowl LVI. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
By designating Kupp as a post-June 1 cut, the Rams will take on dead cap hits of about $14.8 million in 2025 and $7.5 million in 2026 while creating $15 million in cap space, according to Overthecap.com.
Kupp’s tenure ended after three injury-plagued seasons during which Puka Nacua supplanted him as quarterback Matthew Stafford’s No. 1 option, and Kupp’s contract became an albatross for the Rams.
“There hasn’t been a more challenging decision since I’ve been here,” McVay said March 3, adding, “It’s about the big picture.”
McVay added: “We just felt like that was the best direction for our football team. It doesn’t take away the love and 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.”
It is unclear whether the Rams and Kupp’s agents discussed adjusting Kupp’s contract so he could remain with the team. But McVay and Snead both indicated this month that Kupp’s return was the least probable outcome to a situation that first came to light when the Rams pondered trading Kupp after last season’s 1-4 start.
The Rams understand the Los Angeles market as well as any other team here, and their decision to release wide receiver Cooper Kupp reflects that.
On Wednesday, hours before Kupp was released, backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and receiver Tutu Atwell were asked about Kupp’s pending departure.
“Knowing Coop, I mean he’s a dawg, man,” Garoppolo said. “I know it’s going to work out for him, wherever he goes, and we’re going to miss him here like hell.”
Said Atwell: “It’s going to be tough for that leader just to walk out of the room. We’re all grown so we have to man up. I appreciate him and what he did for all of us.”
So where do the Rams go from here?
The Rams made a splash before the start of free agency by agreeing to a two-year deal with three-time All-Pro receiver Davante Adams. They signed Atwell to a one-year, $10-million contract and parted ways with Demarcus Robinson, who agreed to a two-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Second-year pro Jordan Whittington will take on a larger role for a team that could add more receivers in the next waves of free agency and the draft.
Kupp’s contributions to the Rams’ success under McVay cannot be overstated.
Winners and losers in NFL free agency often cannot be decided until the following season, but which players are poised for greatness with their new teams?
As a rookie in 2017, the former Eastern Washington star teamed with veteran receivers Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods to give quarterback Jared Goff a trio of dynamic targets in an offense that featured running back Todd Gurley. In McVay’ first season, the Rams advanced to the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
In 2018, Kupp suffered a midseason knee injury that prevented him from taking part in the Rams’ run to Super Bowl LIII. But he came back strong in 2019, catching 94 passes for 1,161 yards and 10 touchdowns for a team that missed the playoffs.
In 2020, Kupp had 92 catches for 974 yards and three touchdowns. Because of a knee injury he sat out an NFC divisional-round defeat by the Green Bay Packers. A few weeks later the Rams traded Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick to the Detroit Lions for Stafford.
Stafford and Kupp immediately bonded and spent long hours together reviewing tape. In their first season together, Kupp achieved the so-called triple crown by leading the NFL with a franchise-record 145 catches, a franchise-record 1,947 yards receiving and 16 touchdown catches. He was named offensive player of the year and caught two touchdown passes in a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium. Kupp was voted the game’s MVP.
After the Super Bowl, Kupp signed an extension that included $75 million in guarantees. But several injuries caused his production to slip. In 2022 he played only nine games and caught 75 passes. In 2023 he caught 59 passes in 12 games.
Last season after exploring trading Kupp, the Rams turned around their season and advanced to the NFC divisional round before losing to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles. Kupp finished with 67 receptions for a career-low 710 yards and six touchdowns.
About a week before the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Kupp announced the Rams had informed him they would trade him. The Rams, however, were unable to find a trade partner.
Kupp is now a free agent preparing for the next phase of his career. He concluded his social media post Wednesday with an upbeat declaration.
“Next chapter starts now,” he wrote. “Best is yet to come.”
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