The NFL is a business, but for Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp, it has always been about more than just the logo on the helmet. The Seahawks are headed for the Big Game in Santa Clara following a 31-27 victory over the Rams, but the fallout has been as emotional as it has been controversial. While Stafford is rooting for his best friend, he finds himself in an agonizing position.  

“As tough as it is for me to say that 24 hours after losing to him and having a chance to win the Super Bowl ourselves,” Stafford admitted on Lets Go! Podcast. “But life is about relationships… Sometimes those people are on your team forever, and other times, they are not. But he’ll always be a friend to me and somebody I’m pulling for.”

Stafford understands the “cold” side of the league. He watched the Rams’ front office move on from the franchise legend, Kupp. And it was far more mutual. They officially parted ways in March ‘25, but the seeds of a fallout began as early as October, when LA got their hands on a new shining receiver: Puka Nacua. 

They confined a former Super Bowl MVP’s role to merely “fielding calls.” 

On Sunday, Stafford saw his former teammate delivering the knockout blow against the Rams in the playoffs. It wasn’t an easy game for Stafford; it’s the last thing he expected with a 374-yard and three-touchdown performance. But the moment the buzzer went off, he immediately went looking for Kupp. 

As agonizing as it was for him, he wanted to tell Kupp, “Good luck, and hope he wins another one.”

The moment he found him, he went, “Quit making me look for you so f*****g look, go win your damn Super Bowl kid, you played great. You’re unbelievable,” via Ari Meirov.

The veteran receiver was utterly touched by Stafford’s post-game gesture, and he didn’t hold back on the terror of competing against a friend, especially as fierce as the Rams signal-caller. By the final minutes of the game, he was in a state of high anxiety. 

Knowing Stafford was on the opposite sideline with the ball in his hands is a nightmare he used to watch other teams endure; this time, he was the one holding his breath.

“It’s disheartening because you just know what he’s capable of,” he remarked later on. 

Though Kupp’s relationship with the Rams front office went completely off the rails, it never soured with Stafford, as well as head coach Sean McVay. 

He and Stafford were the ultimate duo, who made history in their first season together. Kupp achieved a triple crown in ‘21 for leading the league in yardage (1,947), receptions (145), and touchdowns (16), besides winning the Offensive Player of the Year. The very next season, ‘22, the duo led the Rams to a Super Bowl triumph. 

Cooper Kupp’s wife spoke against the disrespect from the Rams 

While Stafford took the high road, Kupp’s wife, Anna Marie Kupp, was much more pointed about the nature of her husband’s exit from Los Angeles. As the star receiver punched his ticket for the Super Bowl following a revenge game, Anna Marie offered a raw look at the emotional toll of the past year. 

“It’s not about bitterness or letting something go,” she penned on her Instagram story. “It’s about remembering how lost and confused we were. not having a choice. the questions and the confusion.”

Cooper’s exit from the Rams was the very definition of ugly. They reportedly went as far as “urging him to retire.” As they failed to find a trade partner, they used a post-June 1 designation to cut him, saving $15 million in cash. The All-Pro receiver may not have gloated over the NFC Championship victory, dismissing questions by simply noting “it was written,” but his wife spoke her mind. 

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“Watching my husband be disrespected by so many people we thought were in our corner,” she added. “Learning, releasing, forgiving, but not forgetting.”

For the Kupps, the Seahawks’ victory wasn’t just a win but a rebuttal. While the Rams can now begin their offseason, Seattle is now preparing for a Super Bowl clash against the New England Patriots.