Why Seahawks star Cooper Kupp is among NFL's top bounce-back candidates for 2025

Kupp is considered washed-up by a lot of fans, but only because he's been injured the last three seasons. Fully healthy, he might be in for a big comeback year.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) rides a bicycle to a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. | Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

The Seattle Seahawks' offense this season is clearly going to be led by their running game. That means we will likely hear Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet's names a lot more than in years past. It would be a mistake to sleep on Seattle's new-look wide receiver corps, though.

In the wake of the DK Metcalf trade a lot of analysts predicted that this unit would take a big step backwards in 2025. However, a lot of them are also underrating what the team's veteran No. 2 option Cooper Kupp is capable of. It wasn't that long ago that Kupp led the league in catches, yards and touchdowns on his way to a Super Bowl MVP.

Kupp has been slowed by injuries in each of the last three seasons since then, but if he can stay healthy there's no reason why Kupp can't be a big producer once again. In fact, he is one of the NFL's best bounce-back candidates this year, according to Joel Corry at CBS Sports.

CBS Sports on Cooper Kupp

"The Rams released Kupp in March after a trade market never materialized. He had two years worth $39.58 million remaining on his contract. Kupp, who turned 32 in June, hadn't had a 1,000-yard receiving season since 2021 when he won the receiving triple crown... Kupp gets to face the Rams twice a season because he stayed in the NFC West. He signed a three-year, $45 million deal with $26.5 million in guarantees a few days after the Rams released him."

Aug 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) returns to the locker room following early pregame warmups against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Even missing a total of 18 games the last three years, Kupp has managed to average around 750 yards and six touchdowns during that time. If Kupp is lucky enough to play all 17 games it's feasible that he could once again crack 1,000 receiving yards - as he has twice in his career before.

Of course a lot of it will come down to targets. In his prime with the Rams, Kupp was by far their best pass-catching threat. These days Kupp will have to share looks with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Tory Horton, Ken Walker and multiple tight ends.

For now it's still anybody's guess how the pie will be distributed for this passing game, which will make its debut one week from tomorrow against the 49ers.

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