New England Patriots - NESN.com
Playing with Cooper Kupp is like having Rams head coach Sean McVay on the field, legendary offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said of the star wide receiver.
Whitworth played five seasons with Kupp in Los Angeles. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer signed with LA a few months before the Rams selected Kupp in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
“Cooper Kupp could walk in a room right now and run an offense,” Whitworth told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand.” “He’s that intelligent, he understands the game that much.”
Kupp revealed this week he’s been told the Rams plan to trade him. The 31-year-old has two years left on his contract. While he’s not the same player he was during his Offensive Player of the Year campaign in 2021, Kupp still would be an impactful addition to the Patriots offense.
Whitworth’s effusive praise for Kupp included the impact he could have on New England quarterback Drake Maye, who enters his second season in the league.
“His ability to teach when he’s on the field — he’s teaching the receivers, he’s helping the tight ends, the linemen,” Whitworth said. “His mindset and that kind of just, I mean, it would just be invaluable for that quarterback.
“A guy like Drake Maye having people like that in his huddle, much less people just think, ‘Put talent around him.’ Talent is great, but if that talent doesn’t know where they’re supposed to line up and what they’re supposed to do, it doesn’t do anything for an NFL offense at the level you have to be efficient,” Whitworth continued. “So I think having a guy like Cooper Kupp would be unbelievable because he would have an impact across that entire room.”
Kupp isn’t expected to come with a major trade cost either. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer predicted the veteran receiver could be acquired for a Day 3 draft pick.
