Cooper Kupps’ Trade Price Hike: What it Means for…

This past week, the Los Angeles Rams looked to be getting back into playoff form after surprisingly beating the Minnesota Vikings 30-20 on Thursday Night Football.

This success was in large part due to the return of star wide receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Nacua recorded seven receptions for 106 yards and Kupp made five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Before this shocking victory, trade talks were rampant for Los Angeles, especially when it came to Kupp. However, his recent success has caused a shift in the conversation.

Mostly, head coach Sean McVay revealed that he absolutely didn’t want to trade Kupp.

“I’m really glad to have Cooper Kupp back with us and I expect it to stay that way,” McVay said, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

That being said, if the trade were to happen, Dianna Russini of The Athletic thinks that it will be much more costly than before.

“Before the Rams’ recent win, my colleague Michael Silver and I spoke to multiple league sources who have had discussions with the Rams about trading for the 31-year-old receiver,” Russini said. “The Chiefs (before the Hopkins trade), Bills, and Steelers are among the teams that have either called L.A. or that L.A. reached out to to discuss a trade scenario.”

“After a healthy Kupp looked like a reasonable version of himself Thursday night, count on this: If a team does talk to the Rams about trading for him, the price just went way up.”

Already, trading for Kupp would be pretty expensive. This year, he is making $15 million, and it’s set to increase to $20 million next year with $5 million guaranteed. If a team wants him on their roster, they’ll need at least $9 million in cap space to absorb his contract.

That being said, it’s hard to see Kupp playing for any team other than the Rams. He first joined Los Angeles when they selected him with the 69th overall pick in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Kupp would go on to become one of the most beloved players in Rams history after playing one of the best seasons a wide receiver has ever had.

Kupp continued this excellent play in the postseason, helping lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory and being named Super Bowl MVP. He recorded 33 receptions, 478 receiving yards, and six touchdowns across the playoffs.

Kupp holds the NFL records for most yards from scrimmage by a wide receiver in a single season (1,965), most receptions in a single postseason, most receiving yards in a single season including postseason (2,425), and most receptions in a single season including postseason (178).