Cooper Kupp Update: Sam Darnold gets a new weapon on offense as Seahawks sign Super Bowl winner to a 3-year deal

After years of service for the Los Angeles Rams, veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp has signed a 3 year deal with the Seattle Seahawks to link up with Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith Njigba.

Cooper Kupp Update: Sam Darnold gets a new weapon on offense as Seahawks sign Super Bowl winner to a 3-year deal

Cooper Kupp signs with Seahawks (Image via IMAGO)

Cooper Kupp is no longer a free agent. He is heading back home by signing a three-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks to play with Sam Darnold.

This marks the end of a seven-year stay with the Los Angeles Rams for Kupp. The veteran wide receiver said his goodbyes to his former team after the team released him earlier this week.

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Following the release, a few teams, including the Cowboys, Commanders, Panthers, Packers, Patriots, and Seahawks, showed interest in Kupp until they heard about his desired salary margin. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport revealed Kupp wanted somewhere between $11 and $15 million/year. The number was enough for a couple of the teams to lose interest.

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As a result, the Seahawks became the prime candidate to land the 31-year-old wideout. On Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that the Seahawks signed Cooper Kupp to a $45 million deal.

Kupp’s signing added another piece in the newly minted Seahawk offense. Right before the free agency market kicked off, head coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider opted to clean house by releasing ten-year veteran Tyler Lockett and trading away both DK Metcalf and quarterback Geno Smith.

Schneider made a big splash of cash by signing former first-round quarterback Sam Darnold to a three-year deal to replace Smith and added Marquez Valdes-Scantling (one year, up to $5.5 million), who has tons of experience winning rings during his stint with the Chiefs.

The new look Seahawks offense is set to consist of Darnold, Kupp, MVS, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, TE Noah Fant, RB Kenneth Walker, and RB Zach Charbonnet.

Cooper Kupp is heading back home

Kupp grew up roughly 140 miles southeast of Seattle in Yakima, Washington. He attended Eastern Washington, playing five seasons with the Eagles (he was redshirted during his first season).

In 52 games for the Eagles, Kupp racked up 428 receptions for 6464 receiving yards (14.5 yards per catch), 125.7 yards per game, and 73 touchdowns. His best numbers came during his senior season, when he recorded 1700 yards from 117 receptions for 17 touchdowns.

Cooper Kupp update Sam Darnold gets a new weapon on offense as Seahawks sign Super Bowl winner to a 3-year deal
Cooper Kupp (Image via IMAGO)

Kupp holds the record for most career receiving yards in college football (6464), became the FC NCAA career leader in receiving touchdowns (73), and receptions (428). He bagged the Walter Payton Award in 2015 and was a 2x Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year (2015-16).

The Rams drafted Kupp in the third round with the 69th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He went on to make 104 appearances (89 starts) for the LA franchise, racking up 634 receptions for 7776 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns.

2021 was the best year of his NFL career when he led the league in all three categories: 145 receptions for 1947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Kupp scored the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl to defeat the Bengals and bag his first-ever ring along with a Super Bowl MVP title.

Injuries and a drop-off in numbers led to Kupp’s release from the Rams

Winning the Super Bowl was the highest moment for Kupp in the NFL because his form and numbers plummeted in the following seasons. According to analyst Warren Sharp, he ranked 16th among 160 receivers in the league in terms of getting open for a quarterback to find him. The following three years, he was 71 (out of 150), 102 (out of 153), and 141 (out of 159).

Constant injuries to his ankle and knee bugged him during the last three years. His final two seasons in LA combined for just over 1400 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Kupp was among the last players who were part of the Rams’ roster in St. Louis, but it became evident that the brass wanted to move on from him. They allowed him to seek a trade earlier this year but left the door open to releasing the player if he failed to find one.

Eventually, the Rams let go of Kupp after they added Davante Adams. Kupp signed with the Seattle Seahawks and will remain in the same division, facing his former side twice a year.

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