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.
Trade Logistics
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 on fit and financial situation:
Washington Commanders
Washington has transcended into a trending destination following its trip to the NFC Championship game behind first-round QB Jayden Daniels. The Commanders have plenty of cap space ($78.1 million) and questions to answer at receiver with Olamide Zaccheaus, Dyami Brown, Noah Brown, Jamison Crowder and K.J. Osborn all hitting free agency.
Terry McLaurin is going nowhere after he went for 1,323 yards while running almost all of his routes on the outside. Kupp would fit in seamlessly in the slot in OC Kliff Kingsbury‘s offense, which can get him advantageous matchups in space. As a reliable veteran, Kupp would bring a lot of the same elements to the offense that TE Zach Ertz did and give Washington another weapon to attack the middle of the field if Ertz is brought back.
The lack of a real No. 2 receiver didn’t hold Washington back this past year but long-term it’s probably an area the Commanders need to fortify to take the next step. Adding Kupp with Daniels and McLaurin could help Washington repeat their success this past year
Denver Broncos
Sticking with teams on the rise, the Broncos are another group without a ton of experienced offensive weapons. Veteran WR Courtland Sutton had a fantastic year catching passes from first-round QB Bo Nix, and the group of young weapons showed flashes around him. However, Kupp would provide an experienced receiver to elevate the passing attack further as a consistent option from the slot.
Despite the remaining $32 million in dead cap on the 2025 payroll from trading former QB Russell Wilson, the Broncos will have $34.8 million in cap space with no pending free agent likely to see more than $10 million in AAV. Kupp would be a sensible splash to help them try to keep pace with the Chiefs and Chargers in the AFC West.
Los Angeles Chargers
Another AFC West squad that makes sense for Kupp is the team that shares SoFi Stadium with the Rams. First-round WR Ladd McConkey had exactly the rookie season the Chargers needed after losing WR Keenan Allen, but the postseason showed they could use another option who can share the workload with McConkey. The rookie went for nearly 200 yards in the playoffs but no other receiver had more than 16.
The Chargers currently have the fifth-most cap space in the league at $63.4 million. Veteran OLB Khalil Mack and CB Asante Samuel Jr. are both projected to command more than $14 million a year, per PFF, but they should still have the flexibility to make a move for Kupp if they want a more consistent running mate for McConkey.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers were linked to 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk when he requested a trade last offseason and they made a move to bring in WR Mike Williams from the Jets midseason in 2024. Williams will hit free agency along with Van Jefferson, leaving question marks at the position outside of George Pickens and Calvin Austin. Potentially making the situation worse, Pickens could look for an extension this offseason as he enters the final year of his deal, forcing the team to decide whether he’s worth top receiver money.
Kupp would be an excellent fit in OC Arthur Smith‘s run-heavy attack, as he’s an exceptional blocker from the receiver position. He also is good at attacking the middle of the field, another priority in Smith’s scheme, and would provide some balance for Pittsburgh’s offense with Pickens stretching the field vertically on the outside.
Pittsburgh heads into the offseason with $40.7 million in cap space but a complicated free agency situation. Both QBs Justin Fields and Russell Wilson will hit the market, and the solution at quarterback could eat up a lot of that cap space. Steelers RB Najee Harris is projected to command over $11 million per year, while LT Dan Moore Jr. should also be north of $10 million a season. The on-field need for the Steelers is evident, but they might have other priorities that prevent them from taking on Kupp’s $12 million cap hit.
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo is the most established contender on the list but they also have the worst cap situation. Unlike the other teams listed, the Bills have work to do to get in the green as they sit at $12.6 million over the cap.
Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic outlined how Buffalo can create nearly $37 million in cap space, including a number of restructures like QB Josh Allen, LT Dion Dawkins and others. If they can find a way to get to that number, Kupp would be a sensible target with Amari Cooper hitting free agency.
The on-field fit isn’t as seamless as other teams on the list with the emergence of slot WR Khalil Shakir, but OC Joe Brady would likely be able to find a way to get the most out of a talent like Kupp. With their consistent shortcomings against Kansas City, pursuing Kupp could be an option to try and get them over the top.
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