Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Cooper Kupp’s 2021 Season Was One For The Ages!

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Cooper Kupp is a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams and has been with the team for 8 seasons. He was drafted by the Rams as the 69th pick in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. Kupp has had a decent career so far racking up 7776 receiving yards, 58 total touchdowns, and 634 receptions. He also helped the Rams to win the Super Bowl in 2021 by having elite performances in the playoffs. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl (1x) and the All-Pro first team (1x) in his career.

Before we talk about Kupp’s 2021 season, many people forget that he also had an impressive year in 2019. He finished the regular season with 1161 receiving yards (second best of his career), 10 receiving touchdowns, and 94 receptions. For his stellar play in the season, Kupp was ranked 5th for the Comeback Player of the Year award. However, his season was downplayed because the Rams missed the playoffs entirely in 2019.

Recently, the Los Angeles Rams announced that they are trading Kupp away. This has brought in a lot of speculation as to where he might play next. We think that the Bengals, Texans, Cowboys, Chargers, and Steelers could all use his services.

Kupp recently released a statement where he said “I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA,” He wrote. “Still, if there’s one thing that I have learned over the years: there are so many things that are out of your control, but it is how you respond to these things that you will look back on and remember.” Kupp clearly did not want to move from L.A but, as it is with all the sports franchises, it’s a business at the end of the day.

How great was Cooper Kupp in the 2021 season?

Cooper Kupp had a historic year in 2021 where he won multiple awards and broke some of the NFL records. He had 1947 receiving yards, 145 receptions, 16 touchdowns, and averaged 114.5 receiving yards per game. His 1947 receiving yards is the second most in NFL history, only behind Calvin Johnson who had 1964. Kupp finished second for the most receptions in the history of the league. He earned the receiving triple crown in 2021 as he led the league in receptions, receiving touchdowns, and receiving yards. For his outstanding season, Kupp was named to the Pro Bowl, All-Pro 1st team, and was the Offensive Player of the year in 2021.

To add to what was already a mind blowing season, Kupp helped the Rams win the Super Bowl and was named the Super Bowl MVP. He played in all four postseason games and notched 33 receptions, 478 receiving yards, and 6 receiving touchdowns.

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Why are the Los Angeles Rams trading Cooper Kupp away?

Kupp was the face of the Rams’ franchise, a Super Bowl MVP, and is one of the top receivers. So why trade him? We may not know the real answer but there are a couple of reasons.

Kupp is not a cheap player in terms of cap value to keep around. He was locked in with the Rams for the next two years. His cap hit was at $29,780,000 for 2025 and $27,330,000 for 2026. This is a lot of money for a receding receiver in the NFL. If the Rams trade him away, they can save a lot of money and potentially get an elite player in the future.

Another reason has been Kupp’s production and health. After his 2021 season, Kupp has never been the same. He has missed a lot of games and his numbers are steadily declining every season. The Rams, also, already have Puka Nacua who is slowly starting to take over and trading Kupp away may just be the right move.

(Image Credits: Imagn Images)

Cooper Kupp

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Eric Divakaran

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I cover the National Football League and things cannot get better than that. I always dreamed to play football or basketball professionally since I’m built like a Running Back. But now that I can’t, since I’m technically in the “Unc” age, I thought why not pick a career in sports industry? So here I am, doing what I love, and hoping that the Commanders win the Super Bowl. I give love to players when it’s due, but can be critical about their performances at the same time. Enough about me, now let my articles do all the talking.