Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp and quarterback Sam Darnold during an NFL practice.
Cooper Kupp just got one of the rougher labels of the Seahawks’ offseason.
In a new post-free-agency roundup, Bleacher Report named Kupp Seattle’s most overpaid player, arguing that the veteran receiver’s role and production no longer match the money attached to his deal. The outlet pointed specifically to the fact that Kupp averaged only 4.4 targets per game in 2025 despite still carrying a significant financial commitment into the next two seasons.
That is a headline-grabbing verdict, but it is not a random one. Kupp’s first season in Seattle was solid rather than dominant: he finished the 2025 regular season with 47 catches for 593 yards and 2 touchdowns in 16 games, his lightest full-season receiving output in years. For a 32-year-old receiver no longer serving as the focal point of an offense, that is exactly the kind of stat line that invites contract scrutiny.
Bleacher Report’s Argument Is Easy to Understand
Bleacher Report’s case is built on role versus salary.
Kupp signed a 3-year, $45 million deal with Seattle, and Pro Football Talk reported in February that a $9 million portion of his 2026 salary became fully guaranteed on February 13. That matters because it means this is not just a loose future cap conversation. The Seahawks already moved into the phase of the deal where Kupp is more firmly locked into their short-term plans.
So when Bleacher Report looked across Seattle’s roster for an “overpaid” candidate, Kupp was the obvious target. He is still a recognizable name. He is still being paid like an important veteran piece. But he was not used like a true No. 1 receiver last season, and his regular-season volume reflects that.
That does not mean Kupp was bad. It means the cost-to-usage debate is now impossible to ignore.
Seattle’s Receiver Hierarchy Has Changed Fast
This is where the story gets more interesting than a simple one-player label.
The Seahawks are no longer building their passing game around the idea of Kupp carrying a star-level workload. That responsibility belongs to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who just landed a 4-year, $168.6 million extension with $120 million guaranteed, according to NFL.com, after a massive 2025 season in which Reuters reported he posted 119 catches, 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns while helping Seattle win the Super Bowl.
Once Smith-Njigba became that level of player, every other receiver contract on the roster was going to be judged differently. That is especially true for Kupp, because Seattle also doubled down on Rashid Shaheed, who returned on a 3-year, $51 million contract that includes $34.7 million guaranteed, according to ESPN and NFL.com.
That is the bigger Seahawks angle here. This is not just a story about whether Kupp had a disappointing year. It is a story about how expensive Seattle’s receiver room has become now that Smith-Njigba has ascended into the centerpiece role and Shaheed remains a paid, important part of the mix.
Why Seahawks Fans Will Push Back
The “overpaid” label is sharp, but it also flattens some context that matters.
Kupp was not brought to Seattle to recreate his 2021 Offensive Player of the Year season. He was brought in to complement Smith-Njigba, steady the offense with a proven veteran and help a contender in high-leverage moments. Seattle’s own postseason coverage noted that although Kupp’s 70 regular-season targets were his fewest since an injury-shortened 2018 season, many of his catches came in key situations, and the team later named him one of its Super Bowl captains.
That is an important distinction. A player can be expensive relative to his box-score output and still matter a great deal to a winning team. Those are not contradictory ideas. And that is why the reaction to Bleacher Report’s label is likely to be mixed in Seattle.
Fans who look first at production and cap allocation will see the logic immediately. Kupp is on a meaningful veteran deal, posted fewer than 600 yards, and is no longer the offense’s main attraction. Fans who look more at roster fit, playoff trust and locker-room value will see a player who still filled a real purpose on a championship team.