Cooper Kupp’s addition to Seahawks will benefit Jaxon Smith-Njigba says NFL Hall of Famer

Michael Irvin feels the Seahawks did the right thing by signing Cooper Kupp, which will help young WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the long run.

Cooper Kupp’s addition to Seahawks will benefit Jaxon Smith-Njigba says NFL Hall of Famer

Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Image via IMAGO)

Michael Irvin believes Cooper Kupp is a boon for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The NFL Hall of Famer praised the Seattle Seahawks for stealing the Super Bowl-winning wide receiver from under his former team, the Dallas Cowboys’ nose.

Irvin was among the special guests in Monday’s episode of Up & Adams along with Kansas City Chiefs’ franchise-tagged offensive lineman Trey Smith. Host Kay Adams spoke about the Cowboys’ interest in Kupp but ended up signing with the Seahawks.

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Irvin, on the other hand, reminded Adams that he was “the only one” who predicted the 31-year-old wideout moving to Seattle instead of Arlington. From the legendary Cowboys receiver’s point of view, Kupp fits the Seahawks better.

It makes perfect sense. [Klint] Kubiak comes in as the offensive coordinator; [Ryan] Grubb leaves. You bring in Sam Darnold [and] you kicked out that offense in Seattle. That’s why you got rid of [Tyler] Lockett and all of those guys and now Cooper Kupp’s gonna be your inside guy!!!

Michael Irvin said

The Seahawks conducted a summer fire sale, releasing veteran receiver Tyler Lockett and trading DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers, while quarterback Geno Smith signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. After the cleanout, they brought in Sam Darnold to replace Smith and added Kupp as the veteran receiver in the locker room.

Michael Irvin reveals how Cooper Kupp can help Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Kupp is among the premier wide receivers in the league, but he’s much different than either DK or Lockett. He prefers to play more in the slot rather than holding a route and carrying the ball.

Cooper Kupp's addition to Seahawks will benefit Jaxon Smith-Njigba says NFL Hall of Famer
Cooper Kupp (Image via IMAGO)

Smith-Njigba is similar in that fashion. The Ohio State graduate made a name for himself during his junior year. He mostly received passes from CJ Stroud in the slot, recording 1606 yards from 95 receptions and 9 touchdowns.

It only took him one year to adapt the same in the NFL. During his second season in the Pacific Northwest, Smith-Njigba went for 100 receptions for 1130 yards and 6 touchdowns playing in the slot while Metcalf and Lockett ran the wing. However, he is still an unfinished product, and Kupp can help him take the next step.

[Jaxon Smith-Njigba] is gonna learn how to play the slot from the best slot player in this offense. [Kupp] going to Seattle was like the candy I grew up on. It’s great for now and it will be great for later, because it’s gonna pass on to JSN.

Michael Irvin said

Why doesn’t Kupp suit the Cowboys?

Irvin was devastated when the Cowboys ended the 2024 season with just seven wins and missed out on postseason football. However, he was angry when the Cowboys replaced Mike McCarthy with Brian Schottenheimer as the head coach. He wanted former Cowboy and current Colorado HC Deion Sanders at the helm.

I’m shocked he did not see. I was pushing for Deion Sanders to be the next head coach, and I still stand 10 toes down on that push… We lost an opportunity here.

Michael Irvin said back then

The Cowboys brought in Klayton Adams as OC but still have relatively the same players in the building, barring a couple of departures. Irvin claimed if the Cowboys brought Cooper Kupp in, then his style would have clashed with star receiver CeeDee Lamb, and he didn’t want that.

[Kupp] in Dallas, as great as he is, I would be a little worried about some of that covering over CeeDee Lamb, and right now I wanna make sure his attitude is right and his relationship with Dak [Prescott] is perfect.

Michael Irvin said

Kupp lost some of his spark following the Rams Super Bowl win in 2021. Injuries hampered his game, and last year the Pro Bowler only managed 67 receptions for 710 yards and 6 touchdowns from 11 starts. Seattle is a fresh start, and he’s familiar with the surroundings because he grew up just down the road in Washington and played college football for Eastern Washington University.

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