Cooper Kupp recently broke the news that the Los Angeles Rams are looking to trade him but that he would rather stay with the team.
Instantly, all sorts of trade scenarios were cooked up by writers and pundits.
One has to wonder why Los Angeles made this decision, although others will point to Kupp’s injury history and contract as reasons the wide receiver is being shopped.
Puka Nacua is now the main man in L.A.’s passing game, and he recently gave credit to Kupp for helping him become a star player.
“I’m grateful for all the opportunities and the ability I’ve had to watch Cooper Kupp these last two years. And from the moment I walked into that Rams facility, he took me under his wing and gave me all the information needed to have success in this league and to play the wide receiver position at a high level,” Nacua said, via SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“He took me under his wing”
Puka Nacua has nothing but kind words for his teammate @CooperKupp amid trade talk.
Hear more from Puka: https://t.co/Rd5LiaLVme #PukaNacua | #SuperBowlLIX | #LARams pic.twitter.com/WFLCJEQi77
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) February 6, 2025
In 2021, Kupp led the NFL with 145 receptions, 1,947 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns and helped the Rams win the Super Bowl.
But his production has declined since, even though he remains a viable threat when healthy.
This season, he caught 67 passes for 710 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games while helping the retooling Rams reach the playoffs for a second straight year after they had a very poor title defense.
Nacua, a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has 2,476 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns in 28 games since entering the league, and he has been a huge part of L.A.’s resurgence.
The team has drafted well over the past couple of years, and therefore could remain a playoff team and possibly even a dark horse Super Bowl squad if it executes the right trade involving Kupp, assuming it does end up dealing him.
NEXT: Matthew Stafford’s Wife Is Not Happy About Rams Trading Cooper Kupp
