One of the top wide receiver options this offseason seemingly hit the market earlier this week when Cooper Kupp announced that the Rams were seeking to trade him this offseason.
Naturally, with the Patriots needing a lot of receiver help, many instantly wondered if he would be a fit for New England. Well, at least one person outside of the region had a similar thought.
An unnamed AFC executive shared with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the Patriots would be “foolish” not to pursue Kupp due to the state of the team’s wide receivers.
Kupp would certainly add pedigree to a Patriots receiver room that lacks it. He achieved the receiver triple crown in 2021 en route to taking home Offensive Player of the Year before winning Super Bowl MVP that same season. He’s also recorded five 800-plus-yard receiving years in his career while the entire Patriots’ receiver room has only posted one such season. Additionally, the Patriots haven’t had a wide receiver post more than 700 yards in a season over the last two years.
While Kupp is one of the game’s most accomplished receivers, there is a reason why the Rams are making him available this offseason. He’s set to turn 32 in June and has missed 18 games over the last three seasons due to injury. He also recorded just 10 receptions over the Rams’ final five games (including the postseason), posting just 143 receiving yards and zero touchdowns over that stretch.
Kupp finished the year with 67 receptions for 710 yards and six touchdowns, which is certainly a respectable stat line, but not one good enough to justify the $29.8 cap hit he’s projected to have in 2025. So, it stands to be reasoned that a trade for Kupp would cost little due to his cap number.
Of course, the big question would be if Kupp would want to join the Patriots. There’s always the possibility that the Rams could outright release him as some believed Kupp’s announcement was used to hurt Los Angeles in trade negotiations.
Former Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth believes that going after Kupp would be a smart play for the Patriots, though, regardless of how the veteran might feel about the team.
“Cooper Kupp is the equivalent to having (Rams head coach) Sean McVay on the field,” Whitworth said of his former teammate on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” on Thursday. “Like, Cooper Kupp could walk in a room right now and run an offense. He’s that intelligent; he understands the game that much.
“When we would go eat and have breakfast and spend time together, he’s one of those guys that’s like, ‘Dude, I can’t wait to coach football.’ He’s that type of guy. He wants to sit in a room and dissect film and break it down and all those things.
“His ability to teach when he’s on the field – he’s teaching the receivers, he’s still helping the tight ends, the linemen,” Whitworth said of Kupp. “He would come up with run schemes that we’re gonna run in a game, how he can get more involved in the run game and how we can block a play.
That sort of veteran leadership would be valuable for the Patriots’ receivers. New England’s receiver room had some inconsistent play and showed some signs of immaturity from its four young receivers in 2024.
As for other potential fits for Kupp, Fowler noted that the Steelers, Lions, Commanders, and Chiefs could be natural fits for the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year due to their needs for depth at wide receiver.
