Before the Rams resumed their 2024 season, they hoped to trade wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Once they started digging a 1-4 hole, they decided not to move.
Now that the season is over, Kupp isn’t sure if he’ll be back with the Rams.
Via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com, Kupp said Monday that he has “no doubt” he will play in 2024. There is some doubt as to whether the Rams intend to keep him.
“Who knows what will happen?” said Kupp. “It’s out of my control. And we’ll see what it’s going to be. . . . I don’t have any clear idea of what it’s going to look like or anything like that. So yeah, obviously I would love to be in LA, but I don’t know what it’s going to be like.
Kupp went from passing game focal point (and Super Bowl MVP) to second fiddle to Puka Nacua in three years. With $20 million due for 2025 (including $5 million fully guaranteed), that’s more than its current production mandates.
The first decision comes at the start of the championship year, when a $7.5 million bonus expires. (The $5 million guarantee is included in that payment.) He also has a base salary of $12.5 million for 2025.
If Kupp, 31, stays, he’ll likely have to take less than he’s owed. If the leaves are coming off, chances are a haircut is in order as well.
There will be moving parts. What will the Rams offer? What will another team pay? This looks like something that will be resolved at Tampering Central, aka the Scouting Combine.
The options are simple. Kupp stays on his current contract, he reworks it, he is traded or he is released.
The Rams could also allow the roster bonus to be paid and wait. With just $12.5 million owed afterward, they could trade him later in the offseason — perhaps after the draft.
