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Los Angeles Chargers To Trade For Cooper Kupp, Pair With Justin Herbert?

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp announced via social media that the Rams were seeking to trade former All-Pro and Pro Bowler. Could Kupp remain in LA to join forces with former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert on the Los Angeles Chargers?

Kyron Samuels

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) against the Minnesota Vikings during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) against the Minnesota Vikings during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp announced that the team had informed him that he would be on the trade block. Kupp, a former Super Bowl Champion and Super Bowl MVP is 31 years old and coming off of a season where he hauled in 67 receptions for 710 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns in 12 games played. Could the Los Angeles Chargers look to acquire Kupp and pair with former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert? 

“I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships. I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA,” Kupp said via social media. “Still, if there’s one thing that I have learned over the years: there are so many things that are out of your control, but it is how you respond to these things that you will look back on and remember.”

The announcement came as a shock to the NFL community as one, it came from Kupp directly instead of an agent leak to an insider, and two, because he’s one of the most accomplished Rams of all time. Players as loyal and productive as Kupp usually don’t find themselves on trade block at this stage of their career, but the NFL is the most brutal of businesses and no one is safe from that reality. 

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“I have taken so much pride in playing alongside my teammates for the LA community, so thank you for embracing my family and making this such a special place for us. 2024 began with one of the best training camps of my career. Preparations start now for 2025. Highly motivated, as healthy as ever, and looking forward to playing elite football for years to come. Love you guys... But coming for it all,” Kupp continued. 

Well, luckily for the former NFL offensive player of the year, he may not have to leave the Los Angeles community entirely. The Los Angeles Chargers are in dire need of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, but more specifically, consistency. Kupp, when healthy and on the field, has been as consistent and reliable of a player as there is in the National Football League regardless of position.

Herbert needs more reliable targets to throw the ball to outside of Ladd McConkey and Kupp sounds like an ideal fit. Kupp is a jack of all trades in the sense that he can line up inside or outside at receiver and be used in motion as a threat in the intermediate and short passing game as well.

The versatility of a player like Kupp could be just what the doctor ordered for a Chargers offense that was stagnant at times. The signing of a player like Kupp would also free McConkey up more and lend complementary football to a team desperately needing balance. 

Logistically, Kupp’s contract isn’t the most trade-friendly as he is an aging star on the back end of his career, but players are lasting longer than ever and Kupp is one of the hardest-working men in the league. Kupp is experienced on the biggest stages, still producing at a high clip, and motivated. If one had to bet on a player defying the odds, it’s Kupp. 

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

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