Cooper Kupp: I see myself as ascending, even if people say I'm descending

Rams receiver Cooper Kupp has been on the trade block since January, though to this point no trade partner has emerged — and with Kupp's contract, there's a good chance Los Angeles will end up releasing the wideout.

Kupp, 31, had one of the best seasons for a receiver in league history in 2021, when he helped lead the Rams to victory in Super Bowl LVI and was the game’s MVP. But since then, Kupp has played nine, 12, and 12 games in each of the last three seasons.

In 2024, he caught 67 passes for 710 yards with six touchdowns, with just four catches for 53 yards in his last three games (the Rams sat starters, including Kupp, in the Week 18 loss to the Seahawks).

Still, Kupp said in a recent interview with Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times that he feels like a player on the rise.

“The way I see myself is I’m ascending, even if people on the outside say I’m descending,” Kupp told Farmer. “But they aren’t in our rooms. They aren’t hearing our game plans. They don’t see our practices. All they see is what happens on Sunday, and sometimes they don’t even see that and all they see is a stat line and decide, ‘Oh, this is who he is.’

“That’s not what defines a player. That’s not going to define who I am, certainly. I’m not going to allow that. But when you go through the things I’m watching — I go through every single rep, I feel every single rep I take. I diagnose every rep. … I, with all the information, know that I’m moving in the right direction.”

Kupp noted he’s trying to be as positive as he can be about his time with the Rams ending, though it has been tough to know that he won’t be back with the team that drafted him in 2017.

But as he moves on, Kupp feels like he’s still got plenty of ability.

“I said at the beginning of last year that if I didn’t believe I could play football at a very high level — at a level where I see myself doing the things I want to do — I don’t want to be playing football anymore,” Kupp said. “And I can still do it. I want to do it for four more years at least, and I plan to be playing at a high level. That’s just where I see myself. When I see myself on film, I’m progressing. Things are moving forward.”

In 104 career games, Kupp has 634 catches for 7,776 yards with 57 touchdowns. He’s added 56 receptions for 742 yards with seven touchdowns in nine postseason games.