NFL Trade Rumors
The NFL world was set on fire when Brown DE Myles Garrett requested a trade the Monday before the Super Bowl. Just a day later, the big news continued when Rams WR Cooper Kupp was informed the team is looking to trade him.
While the Super Bowl LVI MVP played an integral role in the offense through his eight years with the team, he hasn’t played more than 12 games in a season since 2021. Kupp has dealt with ankle issues over the last few years, including a high ankle sprain in September of 2024, which hampered him all year. His 2025 cap number was scheduled to be just under $30 million, but per Over The Cap, Kupp’s production to the Rams was worth just $7 million last year.
With his age and history of recurring injuries, the Rams are opting to move on.
Staying on the financial side of things, Kupp has a $7.5 million roster bonus due the fifth day of the league year, $5 million of which is already guaranteed. The remainder of Kupp’s 2025 compensation comes in the form of a non-guaranteed $12.5 million salary.
That would make the bill for a new team $20 million, however, the Rams have indicated a willingness to pay some money to facilitate a trade. If they picked up the roster bonus, an acquiring team would only owe Kupp the $12.5 million. Kupp’s deal has no guarantees beyond this season, so this is essentially a one-year deal with no risk beyond that for a new team.
In terms of what a potential return would look like, Texans WR Stefon Diggs was traded in a package with Day 3 picks for a second-round pick at a similar age a year ago, though Diggs didn’t have any availability concerns and was coming off a 1,000-yard season. A conditional third-round pick would probably be the high end of the return if the Rams pay his roster bonus, less if a team has to take on the full $20 million cap charge.
If a deal comes together in March, there are a lot of ways for teams to handle Kupp’s cap charge in a trade, whether it’s $20 million or $12.5 million. Still, the salary is enough that some teams will be priced out.
A key part of Kupp’s announcement was the phrase “continue competing for championships.” Kupp also said the Rams would work with him to find a landing spot, meaning not just shipping him off to an awful team. Los Angeles has a history of staying true to its word here, working with WR Robert Woods to trade him to the Titans and taking less in the process.
San Francisco and Arizona could be viable options for the star receiver, but in-division trades are rare, especially for a player of this caliber.
COOPER KUPP NEXT TEAM ODDS pic.twitter.com/e53czQvIbi
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) February 5, 2025
Here are five potential landing spots for Kupp based...
