Cooper Kupp

NFC West Notes: Hawks, Davis-Price, Rams

June 11th, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not big on making big cornerback investments, with Richard Sherman‘s 2014 extension the exception, the Seahawks have some questions at the position ahead of training camp. A year after the team let Shaquill Griffin walk in free agency, 2021 starter D.J. Reed joined the Jets in March. The Seahawks did not use a first- or second-day draft pick at corner and, while they brought back Justin Coleman in the slot, have some uncertainty in how they will replace Reed. One option will be Artie Burns, the former Steelers first-round pick who signed a one-year, $2MM deal. Burns, 27, lined up opposite Sidney Jones with Seattle’s first-team defense at minicamp, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. Burns, who worked as a late-season starter with the Bears last season, has not been looked upon as a primary starter since the Steelers benched him in 2018. A pair of fourth-round picks — second-year cover man Tre Brown and rookie Coby Bryant — loom as options as well. Brown did not participate in minicamp, due to the knee injury that ended his rookie slate. After nearly four years after his Steelers starter run wrapped, Burns has a chance to carve out a key role with his third team.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

The 49ers‘ Tyrion Davis-Price third-round pick was somewhat surprising, but bolstering a backfield featuring other notable assets may be a two-fold solution. While the 49ers have starter Elijah Mitchell, backup Jeff Wilson and 2021 third-rounder Trey Sermon, Albert Breer of SI.com notes the selection of the LSU running back choice doubled as an “olive branch” of sorts to Deebo Samuel. Kyle Shanahan using Samuel as a between-the-tackles back last season is believed to be one of the gripes the disgruntled wide receiver had when he made his trade request in April. Davis-Price joining the backfield will provide more insurance so that Samuel — his 6.2 yards-per-carry figure notwithstanding — will not be needed for such a role in 2022. The 49ers continue to work toward a Samuel extension.
The Rams‘ big-ticket extensions for Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp will create a bit of cap room in 2022. The defending Super Bowl champions are gaining $3.63MM in space, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, with Donald tied to a $24MM cap number and Kupp tethered to a $17.8MM figure. Los Angeles’ Donald and Kupp deals occurred two days apart. Donald is now the game’s highest-paid non-quarterback, while Kupp’s new pact checks in at $26.7MM per year — fourth among wideouts — and carries a receiver-high $75MM guaranteed.
Shifting back to the Seahawks, they set to return their 2021 guard duo — Gabe Jackson and Damien Lewis — but their oldest O-lineman will be returning from offseason knee surgery, per Condotta. Jackson, 30, missed OTAs and the Seahawks’ minicamp because of the procedure. The former Raiders starter is going into his ninth season. Because of the new contract the Seahawks gave Jackson last year, he is set to count $9MM toward their 2022 cap. Jackson only missed one game in his first Seahawks season.
Staying on the Seahawks’ O-line, the team will feature a right tackle competition in camp. Rookie Abraham Lucas will vie for the job against second-year blockers Jake Curhan and Stone Forsythe, Condotta adds. A former UDFA, Curhan started five games last season. Forsythe, who has mostly worked as a left tackle during his short career, played just 14 offensive snaps as a rookie. Second-year Seattle OC Shane Waldron said he does not have an issue starting two rookies at tackle; No. 9 overall pick Charles Cross is set to succeed Duane Brown on the left side.

Rams, WR Cooper Kupp Agree To Extension

June 8th, 2022 at 6:31pm CST by Ben Levine

And like that, the Rams have extended another star player. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp has signed a three-year extension with the Rams, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

The three-year extension will be added to the remaining two years on Kupp’s current deal, locking the Super Bowl MVP into what’s essentially a five-year, $110MM deal. That’s about $80MM in new money, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Schefter clarifies on Twitter that Kupp will earn a new $75MM in guaranteed money. Earlier this evening, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport estimated that Kupp and the Rams were zeroing on a three-year deal.

Kupp wasn’t looking to reset the market with his new deal, and while he earned a handsome pay day, it still doesn’t crack the top-five at the position in terms of average annual value. The five-year, $110MM puts Kupp’s AAV at $22MM; that ranks sixth at wide receiver behind Tyreek Hill ($30MM/yr), Davante Adams ($28MM), DeAndre Hopkins ($27.25MM), A.J. Brown ($25MM), and Stefon Diggs ($24MM). In terms of total value, the five upcoming years for Kupp is only rivaled by Adams ($140MM) and Hill ($120MM).

Following an incredible 2021 campaign that saw Kupp lead the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16) before earning a championship and the Super Bowl MVP, it always seemed inevitable that Kupp would ink a new deal. The team made it clear throughout the offseason that a Kupp extension was a priority, but the team was in no rush to ink the deal with several priorities (including a new contract for Aaron Donald) still unresolved.

Indeed, the organization only inked Donald to a new deal days ago, and they’ve now completed a new contract for Kupp. In only a matter of days, the Rams have committed $205MM to the two players, and while the front office has done an admirable job of getting creative with their cap machinations, there’s no denying the future money the organization has committed to in pursuit of another Super Bowl win. Besides Donald and Kupp, the organization has also handed out a sizable extension to quarterback Matthew Stafford (four years, $160MM) while also signing linebacker Bobby Wagner (five years, $50MM) and wideout Allen Robinson (three years, $46.5MM).

The new deal will keep Kupp in Los Angeles through the 2026 season. This is already Kupp’s third contract, and as Albert Breer of TheMMQB points out on Twitter, this is a good case study in support of shorter extensions being more beneficial for players. Kupp inked a three-year, $48MM extension with the Rams in 2020. The East Washington product entered the NFL as a third-round pick in in 2017.

Kupp was productive as a rookie, but he missed half of his sophomore campaign. The receiver topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2019, and while he exceeded 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2020, the numbers were still a step down from the previous campaign. Then, with Stafford joining the Rams, Kupp exploded, achieving the NFL’s receiving triple crown. His performance in 2021 earned him a number of accolades, including Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Pro.

Rams Closing In On Extension With WR Cooper Kupp

June 8th, 2022 at 5:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Rams are zeroing in on an another big extension. The organization has made “significant progress” on a new deal with star wideout Cooper Kupp, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). While the deal hasn’t been signed, Rapoport suggests that the deal could be finalized as soon as this evening (via Twitter).

While terms haven’t been reported, Rapoport seems to suggest that it will be a three-year pact. The monetary terms remain to be seen, but Rapoport adds that the deal would place Kupp “among” the highest-paid receivers in the NFL, so the AAV would likely be north of $20MM per year. Rapoport says Kupp could even make north of $25MM AAV, putting the projected extension in the range of 3/$75MM.

The Rams’ offseason priorities obviously included the draft and free agency, but once they finished making additions to their squad, the organization pivoted to their current stars. A report from March indicated that the front office would focus on a new deal with Aaron Donald before pivoting to a Kupp extension. It’s only been days since the team finally agreed to a new deal with the star defensive tackle, but the front office has moved quickly to also pay the Super Bowl MVP.

Kupp inked a three-year, $48MM extension with the Rams in 2020, and the two remaining years would likely be tacked on to a new deal. The 28-year-old receiver set himself up for an even bigger payday following a prolific 2021 campaign. Kupp achieved NFL’s receiving Triple Crown after leading the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16), resulting in him earning a long list of accolades (including Offensive Player of the Year). Kupp followed up his remarkable regular season with an even more memorable postseason, hauling in six touchdowns in four games en route to a Super Bowl championship (and the Super Bowl MVP).

The player’s emergence as one of the league’s top players naturally brought up conversations about a new contract, and there were some who questioned if the increasingly expensive Rams would be able to carve out enough money to sign the wideout to a deal that rivaled some of the lucrative WR contracts (including Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams). However, Kupp made it clear that he wasn’t necessarily looking to reset the market with an extension, and his willingness to take a slight discount likely led to easier negotiations.

Latest On Rams, Cooper Kupp Extension Talks

June 6th, 2022 at 10:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Rams took care of a massive piece of business earlier today, but financial work remains on the offensive side of the ball. A new deal for Cooper Kupp should now become an even larger area of focus for the team, but the receiver is staying positive throughout the negotiation process.

As detailed by Jourdan Rodrigue of the Athletic (subscription required), Kupp will continue to attend Rams offseason activities, including next week’s minicamp, in spite of ongoing contract talks. It was reported in March that once a new deal was worked out with defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Kupp would become the Rams’ top priority. As a result, the soon-to-be 29-year-old could land a re-worked contract in the very near future.

In April, it came out that Kupp was seeking a “fair” contract, meaning he may not reset the receiver market the way Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams have this offseason. He is certainly set to benefit from those and other recent deals, though, and could join the $20MM-per-year club via an extension. Kupp has two years remaining on his current contract, and is due $29.5MM over that span. He is remaining in communication with the front office, as he has throughout the process.

“I try to help where I can” he said. “I don’t want to be in the dark on this thing. I also love this organization. I want to be here for a very long time… And so I want this to be something that makes sense for everyone… It’s never going to be at the cost of anything on the football field, [but] the more communication, the better, and [we’ll] just be able to find a place [where] we can all feel good.”

The five-year veteran had not just a career-year in 2021, but one of the best statistical seasons in NFL history at the position. His ‘Triple Crown’ campaign (in which he led the league in receptions, yards and touchdowns) was capped off by a Super Bowl MVP award. Now, it is likely to lead him to a significant raise and an extended stay in Los Angeles.

Rams, WR Cooper Kupp Continue To Talk Extension

April 19th, 2022 at 7:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Cooper Kupp‘s next contract with the Rams could reset the market at wide receiver. While we haven’t heard much on that front this offseason, head coach Sean McVay acknowledged today that the organization has had “good dialogue” with the receiver regarding a future deal (per Stu Jackson of the team’s website on Twitter).

“Those are things that are still at the forefront of our thoughts,” McVay said in regards to extensions for Kupp and defensive lineman Aaron Donald.

Kupp also discussed a potential extension with reporters today while attending voluntary OTAs. The wideout said he’s seeking “fair” money, but he also said that he’s not “trying to beat anybody or compare myself to anybody” (per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue on Twitter). Kupp did acknowledge the rapidly rising receiver market, saying he’s excited for his peers’ “life-changing” money (via Rodrigue).

The Super Bowl MVP has two years remaining on a contract which is set to pay him just over $14.5MM per season. We heard back in March that the front office was zeroing in on an extension with Donald and would then pivot their focus on Kupp. The 28-year-old wideout had a historic season in 2021, and he’s established himself as the top player at his position.

Tyreek Hill‘s recent deal with the Dolphins makes him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history in terms of annual salary ($30MM) and guarantees ($72.2MM). Davante Adams‘ deal with the Raiders is still the most lucrative non-QB contract in NFL history, with the wideout having the potential to earn $141.3MM. Kupp could easily double his salary while still providing the Rams with a bit of a discount.

Latest On Rams’ Snead, McVay, Donald, Kupp

March 30th, 2022 at 3:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

While they have made a number of big-name additions in recent years, a key core of players and personnel have been present throughout the recent success the Rams have enjoyed. Included among those is general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay, along with All-Pros Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp. According to Jourdan Rodrigue of the Athletic, each member of that quartet is in line for new or re-worked contracts.

As chief operating officer Kevin Demoff recently confirmed, both Snead and McVay “will receive contract extensions prior to the official start of the 2022 season”. It had been known for some time that McVay would be getting a new deal after he confirmed his intention to continue coaching. Likewise, Snead been extended parallel to McVay in recent years, including their joint re-signing in 2019.

“They want to be aligned”, Demoff said. “They speak the same language and they see football the same way. They’re motivated to build teams together the same way. When you find that partnership, you want to keep it.”

As for Donald, Rodrigue reports that “the team is working out a new contract for [him] and expects it to be done soon”. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year has three years remaining on his current deal, which he signed in 2018 following a holdout one year earlier. There is optimism a repeat of that will be avoided, as negotiations have “been nothing but positive” for an extension which is thought to represent a large raise on his current $22.5MM-per-year pact.

For Kupp, meanwhile, an extension – or at least a restructure of his current deal – will become the priority after Donald. He has two years remaining on a contract which is set to pay him just over $14.5MM per season. While the 29-year-old isn’t “looking to top the [WR] pay charts”, as far as the front office is aware, a raise spread out over a longer term is their goal. Doing so could open up some needed financial flexibility, given the addition of Allen Robinson and the teams’ ongoing efforts to re-sign Odell Beckham Jr.

While change is inevitable for any team – even Super Bowl winners – it appears much of the Rams’ nucleus will be remaining in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.

Contract Details: Miller, Robinson, Reddick, Mariota, Jensen, Collins, Brown, Norwell

March 22nd, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from contracts recently agreed to across the league, starting with the Bills’ big-ticket deal for a future Hall of Fame edge rusher:

Von Miller, LB (Bills): Six years, $120MM. Miller’s deal includes $51.44MM guaranteed. The Bills will keep Miller’s early base salaries low; he is tied to $1.1MM (2022) and $1.3MM (’23) salaries, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Miller has a $13.34MM roster bonus due in 2023, and Albert Breer of SI.com tweets his deal includes $50MM over the first two years. His $17.1MM, $19.6MM and $29.6MM salaries from 2025-27 are nonguaranteed.
Allen Robinson, WR (Rams): Three years, $46.5MM. Robinson is attached to guaranteed base salaries of $1.5MM and $10MM in 2022 and ’23, respectively, per Wilson (on Twitter). The contract includes a $5.75MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2024 league year. If Robinson surpasses 2,200 receiving yards in the regular season and playoffs during the 2022 or ’23 seasons, Wilson adds his 2024 year will void (Twitter link). Only Cooper Kupp has accomplished that feat in a season.
Haason Reddick, DE (Eagles): Three years, $45MM. Reddick, who is guaranteed $30MM, is tethered to base salaries of just $1MM and $1.1MM in 2022 and 2023, per Wilson (on Twitter). His $13.75MM 2024 salary is nonguaranteed. The Eagles tacked three void years onto the deal for cap purposes. Reddick will collect a $13.7MM roster bonus in 2023.
Ryan Jensen, C (Buccaneers): Three years, $39MM. Jensen’s deal includes $26.5MM guaranteed. The Bucs center is tied to a $1.5MM base salary in 2022 and a $12.5MM base in 2023, Wilson tweets. Jensen’s 2023 salary is partially guaranteed at signing; it will become fully guaranteed if he is on Tampa Bay’s roster by Day 5 of the 2023 league year. A $1.5MM 2024 roster bonus resides in this deal as well. The Bucs included two void years here for cap purposes.
La’el Collins, T (Bengals): Three years, $30MM. The contract is closer to a two-year, $20MM pact, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with Year 3 being included for cap purposes (Twitter link). It appears Cincinnati has dipped into the void-year realm, though is not clear just yet how this contract is structured.
Marcus Mariota, QB (Falcons): Two years, $18.75MM. This deal veers closer to a one-year pact. Mariota is due $6.75MM in 2022, but NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes (on Twitter) a $12MM 2023 option is included in this contract. A key point for Mariota’s Atlanta future will arrive on Day 5 of the 2023 league year, when a $3MM roster bonus is due.
Trent Brown, T (Patriots): Two years, $13MM. Brown will see $4MM guaranteed, Pelissero tweets. The veteran right tackle can earn up to $22MM on the contract.
Andrew Norwell, G (Commanders): Two years, $10MM. Norwell will collect $5.7MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. He is set to earn $1.2MM and $3.54MM in base salary, with Wilson adding Washington added three void years onto this deal.

AFC Rumors: Jackson, Ravens, Jaguars, Chargers

January 23rd, 2022 at 10:26pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots’ defense struggled in their Wild Card loss to the division rival Bills. That struggle could perhaps have a noticeable effect on cornerback J.C. Jackson‘s future. An undrafted free agent in 2018, Jackson was on a one-year extension this season, meaning last week’s loss is the last game he will have played before potentially hitting the free agent market.

The game was possibly Jackson’s worst in his four-year career, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN, who called out Jackson’s technique playing the ball, coverage breakdowns, and overall effort. Reiss went on to deliberate on the odds of New England tagging the second-team All-Pro, which currently projects as a $17.28MM tag. Reiss believes that Jackson’s playoff performance could prevent New England from using their franchise tag on him at all. The Patriots could always agree on an extension with Jackson, but after an impressive, healthy season, the 26-year old will likely want to test the free agency waters.

Here are a few more notes from the AFC, starting with an item out of the North:

We got a bit of peek behind the scenes from Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager who tweeted out that, after some debate on who to take with their first of two third-round picks, the Rams got intel that Baltimore planned to draft Cooper Kupp at 74th overall. The Rams selected the now first-team All-Pro and Baltimore used their pick on current Steeler Chris Wormley.
Jalen Ramsey spoke recently with Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic about the events that lead to his exit from Jacksonville. Rodrigue did a deep-dive on Ramsey’s journey and the three-time All-Pro expanded on how undervalued he felt by the Jaguars’ staff and detailed an explosive meeting with the team’s top brass that lead to his eventual trade request.
In a tweet earlier this week, LA Daily News reporter Gilbert Manzano gave an account from Chargers’ general manager Tom Telesco on the pending free agency of wide receiver Mike Williams. Telesco praised Williams, who topped 1,000 yards receiving for the second time in his career this season, calling him a big part of the team but didn’t discuss how he planned to move forward on contract talks with the fifth-year Charger.
Also, in Chargers’ news, Giants’ assistant linebackers and special teams coach Anthony Blevins was interviewed to become Los Angeles’s new special teams coordinator, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. Giants’ special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey also met with Los Angeles and is being considered for the position.

Andrew Whitworth, Cooper Kupp, Michael Brockers Expected Back This Week

January 5th, 2021 at 5:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams do not yet know who their starting quarterback will be in their Saturday wild-card game, but they are expecting a few critical reinforcements.

Out since mid-November, Andrew Whitworth remains on Los Angeles’ IR-DTR list. But the Rams expect their left tackle to return against the Seahawks, Sean McVay said Tuesday (via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, on Twitter). McVay also anticipates Cooper Kupp and Michael Brockers, who landed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list last week, to return to practice Wednesday, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com tweets.

Whitworth missed the past seven games, having suffered MCL and PCL tears during the Rams’ first Seahawks meeting. The 39-year-old blocker returned to practice last week and has long been reported to have progressed quicker than expected. A return for Rams-Seahawks III would certainly boost the visitors’ chances.

Kupp and Brockers were not confirmed to have tested positive for the coronavirus, ut the Rams placed the longtime starters on the COVID list last week. Each missed the team’s regular-season finale. Had they contracted the virus, neither would be eligible to return to practice Wednesday.

Jared Goff has resumed throwing, per McVay, but the Rams have not yet determined whether he or backup John Wolford will start in Round 1. Despite having never thrown an NFL pass, Wolford accounted for nearly 300 yards in the Rams’ win over the Cardinals last week. Goff, who is recovering from thumb surgery, had never previously missed a start due to injury.

Rams Place Cooper Kupp On Reserve/COVID-19 List, Darrell Henderson On IR

December 29th, 2020 at 5:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams continue to run into issues on offense ahead of a pivotal Week 17 game. Cooper Kupp‘s availability for the team’s regular-season-ending game against the Cardinals is now in doubt after the veteran wideout landed on the Rams’ reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday.

This designation does not mean Kupp is out for Sunday’s game. If the fourth-year receiver did not test positive for the coronavirus, he would be on track to return this week. If Kupp did contract the virus, he cannot play in Week 17.

Kupp’s now-murky status, however, comes at a time when the Rams are reeling on offense. They are set to be without Jared Goff due to injury for the first time, with Alliance of American Football refugee John Wolford in line to start Sunday. Darrell Henderson is now on IR, according to the team, and Cam Akers‘ status — after missing Week 16 with a high ankle sprain — may be iffy at best given his injury. The Rams, who have lost two straight to put them in danger of missing the playoffs, have also been without Andrew Whitworth for several weeks.

Kupp has not missed a game since suffering a torn ACL midway through the 2018 season. He needs 26 yards for his second career 1,000-yard season. The Rams gave Kupp and Robert Woods extensions this year, committing to the duo after trading Brandin Cooks. With the team needing a win or a Bears loss to ensure playoff qualification, Kupp’s status certainly will be a key matter for the team this week.

Henderson followed Akers in encountering ankle trouble. Unless the Rams make a run to the NFC championship game, Henderson will not be able to return until next season. Although Akers surpassed him in Los Angeles’ backfield pecking order late this season, Henderson started against the Seahawks and leads the team with 624 rushing yards.

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