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Why Rams released Cooper Kupp, paving way for Seahawks to sign veteran WR originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
One of the bigger storylines from the 2025 offseason was the situation between the Los Angeles Rams and wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
After eight years and one Super Bowl win with the Rams, Kupp was released by Los Angeles, which sent him to free agency for the first time in his career.
Kupp then latched on with the Seattle Seahawks, giving the wideout an opportunity to return to his home state of Washington, where he was born and attended college at Eastern Washington.
Why Rams released Cooper Kupp
According to The Athletic's Michael Silver, the Rams encouraged Kupp to retire from the NFL before eventually releasing him, which clearly shows they didn't think he had much left in the tank.
"After the 2024 season, rather than trying to negotiate a salary reduction with the former All-Pro, the Rams had unceremoniously cut ties, urging him to retire," Silver reported.
Silver's report also notes that Kupp believed the Rams poisoned the well with some free-agent suitors by telling teams that "an accumulation of injuries had provoked a steep decline."
Injuries were no doubt an issue for Kupp in recent years, as he missed a combined 18 games over the previous three seasons.
But Kupp was still productive when on the field. He averaged 59.1 receiving yards per contest in 2024, which would have been good enough for a 1,000-yard season over a full 17 games.
Kupp went on to sign a three-year, $45 million deal with the Seahawks in free agency and while he didn't recapture his old form, he was a solid No. 2 option while playing behind an elite wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Kupp also managed to stay healthy, playing in 16 of 17 games.
Through one season in Seattle, Kupp has gotten the last laugh. Not only is his team playing in the Super Bowl while the Rams are at home, Kupp also beat his former team on the way there in the NFC Championship Game.
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