The Rams will save less money if they cut Kupp versus trading him away.
The Cooper Kupp saga continues to drag on for the Los Angeles Rams.
While the Rams would like to trade Kupp away, it’s unclear what or if there is any market for the veteran pass-catcher. Part of that is his age (he’ll be 32 in June), his contract ($12.5 million to $20 million) and his injury history (he hasn’t played a full season since 2021).
If no trade emerges, the Rams could be forced to outright release Kupp ahead of the 2025 season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. These comments came before the San Francisco 49ers traded receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick.
“There’s going to be a market,” Rapoport said Saturday at the NFL Combine. “There’s going to be interest in the veteran playmaking receiver. The question, though, is is there enough interest to do a trade where a team will take on his full salary? If not, it certainly seems a possibility for the Rams would be cutting Cooper Kupp and then moving on.”
If the 49ers only got a fifth-round pick for Samuel, it might be hard for the Rams to get more than that for Kupp. Samuel is two years younger than Kupp and has played more games in recent years. While they play the position differently, Samuel has been seen as a more valuable offensive piece over the past few seasons than the aging and injury-prone Kupp.
Releasing Kupp would cost the Rams more than trading him away. Los Angeles would only save just $7.52 million in cap space if the team cut Kupp before June 1, or $15 million if they designate him as a post-June 1 cut. He’d then count $22.26 million as a dead cap hit over the next two seasons.
Whatever the case may be for Kupp, it appears as though his future won’t be with the Rams. Los Angeles has been busy the past few days, though, after agreeing to keep Matthew Stafford and re-signing left tackle Alaric Jackson.
