What Matthew Stafford Said to Cooper Kupp During On-Field Embrace After NFC Title Game

Former teammates Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp embraced after the Seahawks beat the Rams in the NFC championship game. | NFL

The Seahawks beat the Rams in the NFC championship game on Sunday, 31-27, to earn a spot in Super Bowl LX. Among the many interesting narratives that enhanced the clash between the two NFC West rivals was the Cooper Kupp storyline.

The former All-Pro wideout rose to stardom in Los Angeles with the Rams and helped them win a Super Bowl while making history catching passes from Matthew Stafford. But the team elected to move on from Kupp this past offseason; unable to find a trade partner, the Rams wound up releasing him. Kupp decided to return to his home state of Washington by signing with Seattle in free agency and the fierce rivalry between the two organizations gave the decision extra juice.

It seemed to work out well for both sides. Kupp caught 47 passes and racked up 593 yards for the Seahawks’ elite offense while the Rams didn’t miss a beat, leading the NFL in passing yards per game. But Sunday proved a painful reminder of the divorce for Los Angeles as Kupp caught four key passes and scored a touchdown to help beat his old team.

But there were no hard feelings. After the game Stafford and Kupp reunited on the field for what appeared to be an emotional embrace. On Monday the NFL released the mic’d up footage from the championship game and revealed the classy message the star QB delivered to his former top target.

“Quit making me look for you for so long!” Stafford joked as he found Kupp. “Go win your damn Super Bowl, kid. You played great.”

“Love you man,” Kupp responded.

"Go win your damn Super Bowl, kid."

Matthew Stafford made sure to find his guy @CooperKupp and congratulate him. ❤️@insidetheNFL NFL Playoffs Mic'd Up on X pic.twitter.com/WPTBv3vLOq

— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026

It’s a nice moment between the two, and a reminder of the bonds these players form out on the field of play. It’s a good bet that Stafford will be rooting for his old friend in two weeks when the Super Bowl kicks off, NFC West rivalries aside.

A long offseason begins in Los Angeles as the Rams try to retool and contend again in 2026. Kupp and the Seahawks still have one more game to play. Super Bowl LX featuring the Seahawks and Patriots is set.

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