Cooper Kupp’s exit from the Los Angeles Rams last year was far from amicable. One report has shed more light on the messy divorce between the two sides.
Last February, the Rams informed Kupp that the team was moving on from the All-Pro wide receiver. Kupp has been vocal about pleading his case to the Rams to give him another chance. But his longtime team held firm in letting Kupp go, eventually allowing him to sign with his hometown Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams reportedly did not make it easy for Kupp to find his next landing spot. According to The Athletic’s Michael Silver, the Rams were “urging him to retire” instead of being open to renegotiating Kupp’s salary.
Per the report, Kupp was also led to believe that some Rams officials “had cautioned potential suitors against paying him anything more than the veteran minimum. The officials were said to have claimed Kupp had declined significantly due to his age and slew of injuries.
Kupp himself admitted to Silver that his relationship with the Rams was not “in a good place” when he was on his way out.
The Seahawks took a chance on Kupp and willingly paid his asking price on a three-year deal. While Kupp has indeed looked a step slower this season compared to his best days in L.A., he still filled in the WR2 role admirably next to Jaxon Smith-Njigba during the regular season. Kupp was second on the team in targets (70) and receiving yards (593) on a Seattle team that finished with the best record in the NFC.
Kupp also got the last laugh on his former team in the NFC Championship Game. The veteran wideout caught four passes for 36 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks 31-27 win over the Rams on Sunday.
