Wide receiver Cooper Kupp was informed by the Los Angeles Rams last month that he would be traded before the start of the new season, and he had a fairly strong reaction to the decision.
Kupp detailed his response to the Rams’ decision to move on from him in a new interview. The veteran wide receiver said he had asked coach Sean McVay if there was anything he could do to stay with the team, only to be told no.
Kupp admitted that he has dealt with “frustration, anger, (and) sadness” over the team’s decision, but has tried to avoid a bitter public breakup.
Cooper Kupp without a helmet
Aug 22, 2020; Inglewood California, USA; Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp (10) during a scrimmage at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
“In that moment, I made the decision that I didn’t want this to be a bitter thing in terms of our ending there,” Kupp told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. “I try to keep it as positive as possible and just be forward thinking about how to walk out of there and be able to shake each other’s hands and move forward.
“We did that. And as time has gone on I’ve had to deal with all the frustration, anger, sadness, all these things that as a human you process. Having to say goodbye to people and know that that door is closed. That’s been tough to walk through as the weeks have gone by.”
Kupp essentially broke the news himself of the Rams’ decision and did not sound thrilled about it in doing so. Interestingly, the Rams have publicly suggested the door is not completely shut on Kupp’s return, but Kupp suggests it was not put that way to him.
In 2021, Kupp put together one of the all-time great wide receiver seasons, with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdown catches. Injuries have taken their toll since then, and Kupp has not even topped 1,000 yards in any of the three seasons since then. The Rams would want more than that from a player who carries a cap hit of nearly $30 million for 2025.
Kupp turns 32 in June and has drawn some limited interest. Health is the key for him at this point, and that is the gamble that other teams would be taking if they traded for him. It’s easy to see why a possible trade is so difficult for him emotionally, though.