Rams WR Cooper Kupp 'Respectfully Disagrees' With Vikings Justin Jefferson
Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson is just 23 years old and already cemented among the NFL's best wideouts.
After posting over 3,000 receiving yards in his first two seasons in the league, Jefferson believes he's the second-best receiver in football.
The player ahead of him?
Not Los Angeles Rams pass catcher Cooper Kupp, the reigning Triple Crown winner as the league leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Instead, it's Las Vegas Raiders star Davante Adams.
"Coop is good," Jefferson recently told the Pioneer Press. "But I’ll say he’s behind me.”
Far and away the game's most productive receiver across the board a season ago, Kupp has largely received nothing but praise and admiration.
So, with Jefferson placing himself above Kupp - which, by default, ranks Kupp as the league's No. 3 wideout at best - does the 29-year-old feel slighted?
“No, I would hope he would say that. I think that's the beauty of this game," Kupp said following a training camp practice. "I think it speaks to the competitiveness of this league. If you're not putting yourself as the best and you're not working to be the best, then I'd be concerned about stepping on the field with you if you don't feel like you've prepared to be the best player that you can be. So, I respect his opinion and I can also respectfully disagree.”
Kupp's approach is largely the one most expected. Few elite NFL players would outright admit they're not the best at their position, making Jefferson's initial Adams-related stance all the more interesting.
Not to be lost in the comments is that Jefferson has a healthy respect for Kupp, with the Vikings star naming the Triple Crown winner as a reason he's bought in to new head coach Kevin O'Connell's system, who was LA's offensive coordinator last season.
High-level players are often as competitive as their skill level suggests. Rather than an ugly back-and-forth, this disagreement between Kupp and Jefferson largely highlights the competitive nature of two of the NFL's top pass catchers.
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