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Cooper Kupp will be on the move this offseason as the receiver revealed Monday that he was informed that the Los Angeles Rams intend to trade him.
Though Kupp’s best days are likely behind him, he could be a great asset to a number of teams. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler broke down a handful of squads that might be interested in him on SportsCenter.
“As far as early teams that people are bantering about, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked into Cooper Kupp at the trade deadline last season; they still have a need there,” Fowler said. “Washington could look for a compliment to Terry McLaurin. The Patriots would be foolish not to at least check on this given their receiver situation.”
Fowler also noted the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions as potential landing spots.
Jeremy Fowler @JFowlerESPN
Assessing Cooper Kupp’s trade market with @Hawk and the @SportsCenter crew pic.twitter.com/AzVuJxTcDm
As Fowler mentioned, the Steelers have a void at receiver. While they have a solid WR1 in George Pickens, they still haven’t found a true second option. Kupp could certainly be that for Pittsburgh.
The Commanders are in a similar position as the Steelers. Terry McLaurin had another great year, collecting his fifth straight season with 1,000 or more receiving yards, but Washington’s second-leading receiver was tight end Zach Ertz, who had 654 yards. Adding Kupp this offseason could give star quarterback Jayden Daniels another option as the Commanders look to get back to the NFC championship next year.
The Patriots arguably need more than just one receiver this offseason. New England has no true WR1, with tight end Hunter Henry leading the Patriots in receiving yards last season with 674. Kupp could join the Patriots and take over as WR1 and make life easier for young quarterback Drake Maye.
In Detroit, Kupp would likely have a lesser role as the Lions already have a pair of star receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Still, Detroit could be a desirable location for him given his relationship with quarterback Jared Goff, who he played with for four seasons in Los Angeles.
He’d be more likely to get more targets for the Chiefs, who don’t necessarily have a top receiving option at the moment.
Kupp, who will be 32 by the start of next season, is just a few years removed from the best season of his career when he racked up 1,947 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns, but he’s dealt with a handful of injuries recently.
With the right team, Kupp could rejuvenate his career and put together a few more good seasons. He’ll hope to find that team this offseason.
