The Rams are looking to trade Cooper Kupp, the receiver said publicly on Monday in a social media post, after eight seasons in Los Angeles.
Kupp, 31, was the NFL’s triple crown winner and Super Bowl MVP during the 2021 season. But his production dipped between 2022-24, in part due to injuries. The Rams felt his salary — with $29.7 million and $27.3 million due in 2025 and 2026, respectively, no longer matched the performance and especially in 2024 as the offense transitioned to funnel through second-year star Puka Nacua.
A trade in which Kupp goes to a competitive team (he stressed the latter factor in his post) would be a best-case scenario for the Rams, who may have to take on part of his salary to do so. But which fit would be best? Our beat writers acted as their teams’ general manager to pitch their offers — with Rams reporter Jourdan Rodrigue making the final call.
Atlanta Falcons
Rams get: 2025 fourth-round pick, 2025 seventh-round pick
Falcons get: Kupp
The Falcons might take a look here but shouldn’t be expected to break the bank for four reasons. First, Ray-Ray McCloud was a pleasant surprise this season, catching a career-high 62 passes for 686 yards in his first year in Atlanta. Second, acquiring Kupp would take away slot snaps from Drake London, who was very effective out of that alignment in 2024. Third, they don’t have a lot of expendable assets, and lastly, Kupp’s age (31) and injury history.
Still, it’s possible former Rams assistant and current Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson would want to reunite with Kupp. Putting Kupp with London and Darnell Mooney would give Atlanta one of the deepest starting wide receiver units in the league. — Josh Kendall
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Baltimore Ravens
Rams get: 2025 fourth- and sixth-round picks
Patriots get: Kupp, Rams paying down part of Kupp’s contract
To be clear, this is a long shot. The Ravens have very little salary-cap flexibility and also feel good about their top two receivers, Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, and their two pass-catching tight ends, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.
However, the Ravens have had success adding 30-plus-year-old wide receivers (Steve Smith Sr., Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin, to name a few) in the past, and it feels like an obligation on their behalf to kick the tires when another quality veteran becomes available at the position.
The Ravens will need to add to their receiving corps this offseason with both their No. 3 receiver (Nelson Agholor) and No. 4 (Tylan Wallace) eligible for free agency. Quarterback Lamar Jackson loves working in the middle of the field, where Kupp is so dangerous. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta will also have as many as 11 draft picks to work with, so dealing two Day 3 selections for offensive help isn’t a difficult price to pay.
The big question would be whether the Ravens can make the money work, and that’s certainly debatable. Still, they loved Kupp coming out of the 2017 draft and were disappointed when the Rams selected him five spots ahead of them in the third round. This could be a low-cost, better-later-than-never addition. — Jeff Zrebiec
Cooper Kupp caught 67 passers in 12 games with six touchdowns, including this one vs. the Eagles. (Alex Gallardo / Imagn Images)
Dallas Cowboys
Rams get: 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick
Cowboys get: Kupp, Rams paying portion of Kupp’s 2025 salary
A fourth-round pick is probably what should be offered here, but the Cowboys traded theirs to Carolina in November for WR Jonathan Mingo. Dallas is far more conservative than the oddsmakers still continue to believe. The Cowboys are usually one of the Vegas favorites when a big-time player becomes available, yet they haven’t made a headline-grabbing move since trading a first-round pick to the Raiders for Amari Cooper in 2018. Seeing them among the favorites for Myles Garrett is laughable. But the compensation in this offer is similar to what Dallas gave up for Brandin Cooks two years ago.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones recently sounded like they could be willing to be more active in improving their roster beyond just the draft. A No. 2 wide receiver is needed to play alongside CeeDee Lamb. As long as Kupp is healthy, this could be a good fit in Brian Schottenheimer’s first season as head coach and offensive play caller. The fan base is certainly frustrated about the current state of the franchise. Apathy is setting in. Jerry Jones has proven that he enjoys making moves for wide receivers. This one could make sense to him. — Jon Machota
Denver Broncos
Rams get: 2025 sixth-round pick
Broncos get: Kupp and Rams paying major portion of his 2025 salary
The Broncos must become more efficient at attacking the “inner triangle” of the field, coach Sean Payton said at his end-of-season news conference late last month. Finding a running back and a tight end who can create mismatches in that area is a major priority for Denver this offseason as it aims to take another step offensively, but the team has also lacked a consistent slot receiver presence who can do the same. Kupp has not approached the production he provided as the NFL’s triple-crown leader in receiving in 2021, but he is still a weapon in tight space who could be a security blanket for a young quarterback like Bo Nix.
The Rams will almost certainly have to eat a major portion of Kupp’s 2025 salary to facilitate a trade — perhaps all but the $5 million to $7 million he might be worth on the open market. After that part of the deal is in place, the Broncos could offer one of their two sixth-round picks in 2025. A deal like this could make sense for the Rams as a way to ensure Kupp doesn’t land with an NFC rival. — Nick Kosmider
Houston Texans
Rams get: 2025 fourth-round pick, WR John Metchie III
Texans get: Kupp, Rams paying portion of his 2025 salary
Having felt like they could have one of the league’s better wide receiver corps heading into the season, the Texans now must rebuild its WR room aside from Nico Collins this offseason. Tank Dell’s knee injury leaves his status for 2025 in doubt. Stefon Diggs, who also suffered a season-ending ACL injury, is a free agent. After that, there are a few what-ifs and question marks.
Enter new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, who’s spent the last two years as the Rams’ tight ends coach and passing game coordinator. Caley’s arrival and Kupp being on the trading block makes Houston an obvious connection.
There would have to be some salary-cap gymnastics on the Texans’ part, though. It’s only February, but Houston currently has $101,553 in cap space, according to Over The Cap. With a $7.5 million roster bonus ($5 million guaranteed) and $12.5 million base salary due in 2025 and just north of $19 million due in 2026, Kupp may have to be willing to rework his deal to come to Houston. The Rams may have to take on some of his salary, too. All that could be true for any team trading for Kupp.
Might it be easier to just re-sign Diggs on a team-friendly deal? Might it be easier to focus on the draft? Would it be better to keep assets and sell out for the Jets’ Garrett Wilson, if he becomes available via trade? Perhaps. But a team chasing the Chiefs and Ravens, among others, in a crowded AFC should turn every stone this offseason, and acquiring Kupp — despite his injury history and age — should at least be up for discussion. — Adam Coleman
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Los Angeles Chargers
Rams get: 2026 fourth-round pick
Chargers get: Kupp
The Chargers got a fourth-round pick for Keenan Allen last offseason, and that feels like a good comparison. Allen was entering his age-32 season. Kupp is entering his age-32 season. Allen had a cap number of $23.1 million in 2024, according to Over the Cap. Kupp’s is $29.7 million in 2025. Allen was actually coming off a career season in yards and catches. Kupp is now four years removed from his career season in 2021. Kupp has not played more than 12 games in a season since that first-team All-Pro year. Durability is a concern. Allen missed seven games in 2022 and four games in 2023 before his trade. Allen was a more consistent producer before his trade. Kupp had a much higher ceiling, as evidenced by his 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2021.
I think the draft capital return for Kupp should be in the ballpark of Allen. The Chargers need a receiver. Kupp is not necessarily a perfect fit. He played more than 60 percent of his snaps in the slot over the past four seasons, according to TruMedia. Ladd McConkey spends most of his time in the slot, as well. The Chargers would likely be eyeing more of a true outside receiver. But Kupp is a bigger receiver than McConkey and can function outside more effectively. — Daniel Popper
New England Patriots
Rams get: 2025 fourth-round pick
Patriots get: Kupp (and his contract)
Kupp is past his prime, and the injury concerns are legit. That said, the Patriots aren’t in a position where they can say no to talented receivers just because their best is behind them or the contract is high. So Kupp should be a target for the Pats, especially because if they lose out in the Tee Higgins free-agency sweepstakes, there aren’t many great options. So this is a low-risk move for the Pats.
If Kupp is frequently injured for them, then all they gave up is a Day-3 pick. If he stays healthy, then Drake Maye has a reliable and savvy route runner to throw to. — Chad Graff
New York Jets
Rams get: WR Davante Adams and 2025 fifth-round pick
Jets get: Kupp and 2025 fourth-round pick
A trade of convenience. Assuming Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return to the Jets, Adams won’t either. And as long as Adams would be open to going to the Rams, this could work out for both sides.
Adams still has something left in the tank — over the last six games of 2024, he had 41 receptions for 576 yards and six touchdowns. Kupp is no longer the player he once was but he can still be a productive receiver in Tanner Engstrand’s Detroit-inspired offense, and he wouldn’t have to be the No. 1 in New York with Garrett Wilson still around. Financially, Adams has a big cap hit ($35.6 million base salary) but it’s entirely non-guaranteed and, thus, easy to renegotiate. — Zack Rosenblatt
Pittsburgh Steelers
Rams get: 2025 fourth-round pick
Steelers get: Kupp
The Steelers plan to address wide receiver significantly this offseason and should be exploring all avenues to make it happen, including a trade like this one. While Kupp’s hefty salary-cap hit, injury history and age should help drive down the price, the veteran receiver does many things that would fit well in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme. Kupp’s willingness to work over the middle of the field meshes with Smith’s preferences in the passing game, and his effort as a blocker fits in Smith’s run-heavy offense.
By bolstering the receiver room early in the offseason, the Steelers would gain some flexibility. They could then pursue the possibility of trading George Pickens, who is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract and could “hold in” to try to force the Steelers to hand over guaranteed money early. In that way, trading for Kupp could be part of a larger makeover. — Mike DeFabo
Washington Commanders
Rams get: 2025 sixth-round pick, 2026 sixth-round pick (that could turn into a fourth or fifth)
Commanders get: Kupp, the lowest of Rams’ three 2025 sixth-round picks
The excitement over the Commanders’ offseason opportunities is palpable. Lots of cap space and bandwagon momentum. Also, hello, who doesn’t want to play with Jayden Daniels?
Beyond Daniels, a selling point for Kupp is Washington’s veteran rehabilitation program. Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz, Austin Ekeler, Jeremy Chinn and Dante Fowler arrived last offseason with various forms of “prove it” attached to their reputation. They all did.
Injuries have dinged Kupp’s numbers and market value, but he has the size and route-running prowess to become an exceptional target for Daniels opposite Terry McLaurin. L.A. would have to eat a good chunk of Kupp’s 2025 compensation, and the 2026 draft pick turning into more than a sixth is based on the receiver’s production. The Rams would move up 18 spots in this year’s sixth round. — Ben Standig
Hang on a minute, not every team here is demanding that the Rams pay at least part of Kupp’s remaining contract? Which, to my knowledge, L.A. is willing to do for the right offer?
That would normally narrow things down quite a bit, especially when — in the case of a great offer from the Jets — an above-average-to-excellent player like Adams is also in the mix.
Yet there are some other factors in consideration, especially for a franchise that has frequently taken less in a trade return in order to work with outgoing players on preferred destination (yes, many fans hate this — so say my social media mentions):
Houston just hired Caley as its new offensive coordinator, and Caley is very familiar with Kupp (plus the level of ability he still has) as well as how Kupp could fit into all-important blocking and pass protection schemes Caley must now install for C.J. Stroud.
Which teams will legitimately be contenders? While the Jets’ offer looks nice, Kupp was clear in his statement on Monday that the Rams would help him go to a competitive team. If, as the offer states, the Jets move on from Rodgers — what is the quarterback plan? Unless … (don’t say it, Jourdan) … the Jets are planning on bringing over Matthew Stafford, too?!
Through that lens, the Ravens, Commanders, Texans and perhaps the Broncos look like fits for Kupp. The Steelers, who league sources said made calls on Kupp in 2024 as they went receiver shopping ahead of the trade deadline, could be a nice fit especially for Kupp as a blocker.
… But I’m in charge here. Kupp will head to Washington, rekindle some of those good football vibes with Daniels, Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury. If the Rams are paying some of the salary and one of the picks is production-based, the Commanders aren’t getting a pick in return. Come on, now. Work with me, Ben/Adam Peters!
(Top photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
