Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp announced in early February that the team would be trading him this offseason against his wishes. With the All-Pro wide receiver’s name circulating in NFL rumors, there’s now a likely timeline for a trade.
Kupp, who turns 32 in June, won’t net a very strong return for Los Angeles. On the wrong side of 30 and carrying a massive cap hit, Los Angeles will need to cover a significant portion of his salary next season just to be able to trade him.
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- Cooper Kupp stats (ESPN): 67 receptions, 710 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns in 12 games
The draft-pick compensation will also be minimal. Even with multiple teams having expressed interest in Kupp, general managers are only willing to give up so much for a wide receiver who has played in just 27 total games over the last three seasons. To make matters worse, Kupp is coming off career lows in receiving yards (710) and yards per reception (10.6) with consecutive campaigns under 740 receiving yards.
Los Angeles simply can’t afford to retain Kupp at his current salary and a restructured contract isn’t viable. Besides, the team also has to deal with negotiations to rework the Matthew Stafford contract, lowering his $50 million cap hit for next season. It’s why the team will move quickly on a Kupp trade.
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Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared his belief that the Rams will “agree to a trade’ Involving Kupp before the beginning of the 2025 league year on March 12. As for the likely return, Los Angeles is expected to receive a Day 3 pick.
- Cooper Kupp contract (Spotrac): $29.78 million cap hit, $12.5 million base salary, $5 million roster bonus in 2025
Trading Kupp is primarily about creating cap space and getting his contract off the books quickly. That’s because he is owed a $7.5 million roster bonus on March 17 with $5 million of his salary guaranteed.
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If Kupp is traded, the Rams will free up $12.52 million in cap space that can be used in NFL free agency to shore up the secondary or offensive line. Even with the team having to pay a portion of his salary to play for another team next season, the front office believes that is worth it to make a much-needed change.