The Former Rams Receiver Has Returned To His Roots After A Successful Stint And A Super Bowl Win With Los Angeles
By Gabriel Asparza | March 19, 2025
In something of a bittersweet moment for the Seattle Seahawks’ newest receiver, Cooper Kupp is back in his native state of Washington. Playing for your hometown team is a wish of every child growing up. Approximately three hours away from the Emerald City, the WA native attended his first game at the now-named Lumen Field.
Out of high school, Kupp then went on to play for the Eastern Washington Eagles. Through and through, this state has been his home. In 2017, he then had the good fortune of being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams. Coach Sean McVay guided the offense and the team to a Super Bowl, and Kupp has a ring symbolizing the ultimate achievement in the sport of football.
Part of the organization that allowed for this opportunity and notoriety to happen on the national stage then faced a tough decision. On the one hand, franchises would often love to keep players long-term. Having someone remain in only their jersey colors from rookie year to retirement is a great feeling for the front office and fanbase alike. This is something of a more rare occurrence, however, nowadays.
The Rams went all in, and the cap has resulted in departures needing to be a necessity. Not all the way though, as Matthew Stafford did re-sign to stay in LA. The core of that group has moved on, and Cupp was one of the last pieces remaining from that Super Bowl LVI win.
More importantly, the young talent is stepping up on both sides of the ball, and coach McVay has shown, once again, the ability to develop players and to get the most out of athletes who others have been overlooked.
It’s part of the business. Conquering mountains together, only for an unceremonious Adam Schefter post on X to indicate that an era is over. While Kupp is removed from the peak of his prime, many believe the receiver can still contribute to a winning side.
It’s a different situation for him now in Seattle. The Seahawks are in between two modes. While they are in a sort of rebuild, they too are leaning on some veteran pieces. Particularly at quarterback, the team has elected to go with someone coming off a career year. Sam Darnold may have ‘seen ghosts’ in the past. Under coach, Kevin O’Connell, however, the former USC Trojans student-athlete looked as good as he has in the league.
The Darnold-to-Kupp connection is what the eight-year veteran will now depend on for this next phase of his time in the NFL. It has potential, and certainly the wideout is smart enough to likely make it work with any QB in the league. This is an entirely different situation compared to what he has just left, though.
Shifting Gears for Cooper Kupp
This LA team was arguably a play away from beating the eventual champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, on the road. While in the same NFC West, Kupp will now likely be competing for a Wild Card spot or just trying to stay afloat in the playoff hunt on his new roster.
This homecoming, however, is being largely viewed as a positive by Kupp. As it should! Having just signed a three-year deal with the team, the receiver knows that it’s a work in progress at his current destination. Seattle being more of a welcome-home opportunity for him likely makes it more of an exciting challenge to face.
Oftentimes, aging players will be released from a ball club that they have been a part of for so long. This then can end by being shipped off to a bad spot in an even worse situation. While the winning element isn’t necessarily there at the moment with the Seahawks, him helping to build sustained success in his familiar grounds is making the would-be tough adjustment easier to approach.
Speaking with reporters, the WR offered this insight into the current situation:
“It’s a really cool thing,” he stated. “It’s something that I don’t take lightly. I’m just really excited to be able to be a part of this program, what this program’s been about, and continuing to move it forward.”
The feeling of directly supporting and helping his childhood team outweighs any possible negatives that would come after being released from his previously only NFL side. For Kupp, being a part of a system and culture from the ground up, while mentoring and still producing, is a fitting way for him to enter the current phase of his career.
It’s unknown how many wins Seattle can compile this season. Having Kupp on the team and giving everything he has in a winnable division could prove to be the key ingredient to a successful recipe sooner than many fans believe.
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