He was the Super Bowl MVP just four seasons ago, and now the Rams cut him. After eight years in Los Angeles, the veteran Cooper Kupp is heading back home to Seattle.
He was just the triple crown winner four seasons ago, racking up:
- 145 receptions (second to Michael Thomas’ 149 in 2019)
- 1,947 receiving yards (second to Calvin Johnson’s 1,964 in 2012)
- 16 touchdowns
In that same season, the former Super Bowl MVP set the record for most yards from scrimmage by a wide receiver in a single season (1,965) and most receptions in one playoff run (33).
Cooper Kupp’s Hall of Fame case
While he had an incredible 2021 season, Kupp likely won’t make the Hall of Fame due to a short prime.
Take Mike Evans, for instance. He and Kupp are both 31 years old. Evans’ consistency of tallying 1,000 yards for 11 straight years and six Pro Bowl selections has him on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
In eight seasons, Kupp has made just one All-Pro team and one Pro Bowl team. He has more seasons with fewer than 800 yards (3) than he has seasons with over 1,000 yards (2).
While Kupp’s peak was higher between the two, Evans has been more consistent and thus will head to Canton. For Kupp to be considered for the Hall of Fame, he would likely need to accumulate five more seasons of 1,000 yards and Pro Bowl nods.
But at 31 years old and with his injury history, his best days are likely behind him. His legacy will be the magical 2021 season.
Injuries and decline
In 2018, Cooper Kupp tore his ACL in Week 10, ending his season.
In 2022, following his historic season, Kupp again was lost for the season in Week 10, this time going down with a high-ankle sprain. He was on pace for 140 receptions and 1,530 yards, right on track with his 2021 numbers (145 catches for 1,947 yards).
In 2023, Kupp missed the first four games with a hamstring injury but returned to play the rest of the season. He managed just 59 catches, 737 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games, marking a drastic decrease in production from his recent peak years. Just the year before, he caught 75 balls for 812 yards and scored six touchdowns in only nine games.
He looked like prime Cooper Kupp in that first game of 2024, though, posting 14 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown on a whopping 21 targets. But the very next game, he injured his ankle and missed a month of action, marking his third straight year of missing at least five games. In 12 games in 2024, he finished with 67 receptions for 710 yards and scored six times, eerily similar to 2023.
So, as Kupp starts fresh in Seattle, his recent production says he might still be capable of being the go-to option on the lower end. It will take some time to get used to him wearing neon, though.
And no, don’t dare yell his name if you’re asked if the dishes are done.
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