For star wideout Cooper Kupp, his homecoming to Washington State with the Seattle Seahawks has been nothing short of perfect. His trade to the Seahawks was a gamble that paid off with a Lombardi Trophy, but the veteran receiver is already looking past the celebration to his next move, as he revealed during his appearance on the New Heights podcast hosted by Travis and Jason Kelce.

“I’ve got so much gratitude for this journey, for what this year has been,” Kupp said. “I think you can take a couple of days and enjoy this. It’s the NFL. This team that we had this year is not going to be the same. The 2026- 27 season for the Seattle Seahawks technically starts now. And so we’re already behind. The journey is everything. If you’re living for this week, this is one week. You get to enjoy the game, be with your family, and reflect on it. The parade happens, and it’s like, you got to move forward.”

With this statement, Cooper Kupp hints that he will be staying with the Seahawks for another season. After all, his contract and the team’s recent move likely confirm it. When the Seahawks signed Kupp last spring, they played it smart. The deal was quietly team-friendly.

Kupp got $26.5 million guaranteed on a three-year, $45 million contract, with most of that front-loaded in Year 1. The key part came later, as an extra $9 million was set to lock in if he was still on the roster five days after Super Bowl LX. That deadline came and went, and Kupp never went anywhere. That window to save money is gone now.

With the guarantee now locked, it’s a pretty loud sign Seattle plans to keep him around for 2026. And honestly, it makes sense. You don’t move on from a proven, big-game receiver after just one season. However, this urgency from Kupp towards the future could also be his need to have an improved performance in the new league year after his lower-production year since 2018, when he played just eight games.

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For the Seahawks, Kupp caught 47 of 70 passes for 593 yards and two scores in 16 regular-season games. He had a similar performance in the postseason as he added 157 yards and a score on 15 catches before leading Seattle with six receptions on 12 targets for 61 yards in the Big Game. This 61-yard effort was his highest in the postseason and his third-highest this season.

While those numbers remain a concern, especially given his production with the Los Angeles Rams, Cooper Kupp’s impact on the Seattle Seahawks offense has been far greater. He has emerged as an important mentor to Offensive Player of the Year Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who finished the season with 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. When discussing their mentor-mentee relationship, Smith-Njigba had nothing but praise for Kupp.

“Coop instantly elevates the entire room. I grew up watching him, so working with him every day has been huge for me,” he said, as per DAZN. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is how intentional he is. Every step, every release, every route has a purpose. He’s helped me slow the game down and be more precise in how I attack coverages.”

These priceless contributions highlight how Cooper Kupp, despite his reduced production, continues to give back to his teammates and has emerged as an important member of the Seahawks. Highlighting these qualities, the franchise head coach, Mike Macdonald, made a case for the veteran wideout’s potential Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.

Macdonald makes a Hall of Fame case for Cooper Kupp

After winning Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots, Mike Macdonald made a bold claim about his veteran wide receiver, Cooper Kupp, suggesting that the Lombardi Trophy victory should secure his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Seattle Seahawks head coach also pointed to the mentor role Kupp embraced this season as another reason supporting his eventual enshrinement in Canton and his return to the team next year.

“Cooper is an absolute force multiplier, an absolute stud of a person, stud of a teammate,” Seahawks skipper Mike Macdonald said, as per the NFL.com. “This should cement him in the Hall of Fame, in my opinion. Super Bowl MVP, two-time champion, all-time great teammate.”

In his nine seasons playing for the Los Angeles Rams and the Seahawks, Cooper Kupp has recorded 681 receptions for 8,369 yards and has scored 59 touchdowns. He was selected to play in one Pro Bowl, while winning one Offensive Player of the Year award, one Super Bowl MVP award, and two championships.

Whether these numbers are enough for a golden jacket, only time will tell, but in the meantime, Cooper Kupp will focus on the next season, giving his best for the Seahawks and pushing for his third Lombardi Trophy.