Early Power Rankings Discusses Rams' Cooper Kupp's Future

A new power ranking shows the 2021 Triple Crown wide receiver as a new aspect for the Los Angeles Rams offseason.

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) practices before the NFC wild card game against the Minnesota Vikings at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams finished the 2024 season on a high note. The franchise won the NFC West, previously dominated by their arch rival San Francisco 49ers, and played a competitive game in their divisional round loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Los Angeles is also going through a youth movement as one of the youngest rosters in the league. It’s about to get even younger as the team plans on trading star wide receiver Cooper Kupp just three years removed from accomplishing the Triple Crown.

The Athletic’s Josh Kendall unveiled his early power rankings for the 2025 season, slotting the Rams seventh as one of the best teams in the league going into the offseason. For every team, he asks what is new for each team following the campaign. What is new about Los Angeles is Kupp’s exit plan.

“Kupp is on his way out of Los Angeles, and he’s not terribly happy about it,” Kendall wrote. “The eight-year veteran announced last week that the Rams were trying to trade him and that he “didn’t agree” with the decision.”

Kendall also mentioned Kupp’s extensive salary cap hit that the Rams would be owed to pay him along the games he has missed since 2021.

“It’s a cutthroat decision by L.A., but Kupp has a nearly $30 million salary-cap hit this year and hasn’t played more than 12 games in a season since his 2021 triple crown year,” Kendall said.

It’s an unfortunate situation for the Rams to be in but trading him is necessary for the belief that the team can continue to be contenders as Matthew Stafford’s window for a second Lombardi Trophy is closing fast. Trading Kupp would save just over $12.5 million while the team eats over $17.2 million in dead money.

When healthy, Kupp has usually been a go-to target for Stafford in the passing game but as he enters his age 32 season, he is beginning to approach Adam Thielen territory of being a security blanket while likely being on the back end of his career. Kupp will be remembered for his time in Los Angeles as a key figure in their march to the Super Bowl three years ago while making new memories for a new team in due time.

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