Super Bowl Teams Took Different Approach Than Packers at Receiver

Stefon Diggs and Cooper Kupp will play in the Super Bowl and Davante Adams fell a game short.

Seattle Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp makes a catch against the Carolina Panthers. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Last offseason, the Green Bay Packers were considered potential landing spots for three high-profile veteran receivers.

However, general manager Brian Gutekunst opted to stick with his young guns and didn’t make a splash signing with Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs or Davante Adams.

While Gutekunst decided to go even younger at receiver by drafting Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, Diggs signed with the Patriots, Kupp went from the Rams to the Seahawks and Adams took Kupp’s place with the Rams.

All three players were hits.

In his debut season with the Rams, the 33-year-old Adams caught 60 passes for 789 yards and an NFL-leading 14 touchdowns. He added another touchdown in the NFC Championship Game.

While Adams fell short of that elusive first Super Bowl, Diggs and Kupp will take center stage on Sunday.

Diggs, 32, came off a torn ACL to catch 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns for New England. He has 11 receptions in three playoff games, including a touchdown against his former team, the Texans, in the divisional round.

Kupp, 32, spent his first eight seasons with the Rams before catching 47 passes for 593 yards and two touchdowns for Seattle. In two playoff games, he has nine receptions, including a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game.

Age and Dollars at Receiver

An argument can be made that there’s a better use for a team’s financial resources than spending premium money on a past-his-prime receiver. All three players signed big contracts.

Diggs signed a three-year, $63.5 million contract with New England, though it could wind up being a one-year rental. Diggs’ base salary will soar from $2.9 million this season to $20.6 million in 2026 and 2027, meaning cap charges of $10.5 million this year and $26.5 million the next two years.

Kupp signed a three-year, $45 million contract with Seattle, though it could wind up being a one-year rental if Seattle decides not to pay the $9 million roster bonus that’s due five days after the Super Bowl. His cap charge will go from $9.47 million this year to $17.47 million in 2026 and $18 million in 2027.

Adams signed a two-year, $44 million contract with Los Angeles. Similar to Diggs and Kupp, Adams’ contract goes from an $8.0 million base salary and $12.0 million cap charge in 2025 to an $18.0 million base salary and $28.0 million cap charge in 2026.

Green Bay’s top six receivers had a combined salary-cap charge of about $14.34 million. That’s not much more than Adams ($12.0 million), Diggs ($10.5 million) or Kupp ($9.47 million).

With Age Comes Wisdom

What’s not up for debate is what a veteran receiver means for a quarterback, whether it’s a seasoned vet like Seattle’s Sam Darnold or a second-year pro like New England’s Drake Maye.

“I knew we had a young quarterback that showed a lot of potential,” Diggs said this week. “You play in a lot of seasons and see him grow. I was along for the ride, just like y’all were. It’s been a long season.

“At that point, I wouldn’t have been able to say, ‘We’re probably going to the Super Bowl.’ I wasn’t betting on that. I was betting on just attaching myself and hopefully my teammates attach themselves to the process of winning. It comes with a lot of ups and downs, and we had some ups and downs this season. More ups than downs, so hopefully we keep it going.”

A veteran receiver can also be an asset for young receivers. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs have had to lead the way for the young receivers who followed them to Green Bay.

Kupp quickly became a mentor to the NFL’s newest great receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has the third-shortest odds to win Super Bowl MVP at FanDuel Sportsbook.

“I've known that he was going to come in clutch," Smith-Njigba after the NFC title game. "Just the way he prepares, he's ready for this moment. Play after play, he locked in on the run game and the pass game. For us to have a guy that we can count on like Coop, it just takes this team to another level. …

“We wouldn't be the team we are without Coop. Just what he brings on and off the field. He's a true leader, a true warrior, and it's an honor to line up next to him. How he's elevated my game, I can't thank him enough.”

The Packers drafted Watson and Doubs in 2022 following the trade of Adams to the Raiders. Watson will return in 2026 on a one-year contract extension but Doubs will be a free agent. Watson will be joined on the roster by Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Golden and Williams.

Would it make sense for the Packers to give Jordan Love a wise veteran? There are two potential fits in free agency. One is Mike Evans, who was 11-for-11 in 1,000-yard seasons before catching 30 passes for 368 yards in eight games for the Buccaneers this season. He’ll turn 33 during training camp.

The other is former Chargers star Keenan Allen, who caught 81 passes for 777 yards and four touchdowns in his return to Los Angeles this season. He’ll turn 34 after the draft.

Diggs (85), Allen (81), Denver’s Courtland Sutton (74), Adams (60), Kupp (47) and another Patriots graybeard, Mack Hollins (46), were the only 30-and-older receivers with 40-plus receptions in 2025.

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