The business of the NFL is often cold, but for Cooper Kupp, the ‘24 offseason felt like a deep freeze. After eight illustrious seasons, one of which he concluded as Super Bowl MVP, the star wide receiver was cut loose. On Sunday, when he lined up against his former team, it was a true revenge game. While he wasn’t there to answer questions post-game, his locker room did right by him. 

As soon as the scoreboard reflected the Seahawks’ triumph at 31-27, Kupp slipped out of the stadium with his family. But his teammates were more than willing to fill the silence. Beating the Rams wasn’t just about a Super Bowl berth; it was a redemption for a player his own team had tried to write off. And the Seahawks locker room understood that well. 

“They were done with him,” noted Seattle second-team All-Pro LB Ernert Jones IV. “[They said], ‘He’s not worth it.’ They said that about a lot of us.”

Jones understood the sentiment better than anyone else. After all, he once carried the “discarded” label after the Rams traded him before the ‘24 season. 

First-team All-Pro WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba chimed in as well. 

“I know he wanted to beat those guys,” he admitted. “He won’t show it, but I’m super excited we got this one for him. He was due for a big moment — clutch moments — and we all knew that when he gets his opportunity, he’s going to maximize it.”

The Seahawks have always been protective of Kupp. In their December clash with the Rams, Kupp recorded a fumble near the end zone that stopped the Seahawks’ scoring drive. At halftime, when Rams coaches disrespected Kupp over the fumble while discussing it in the elevator, the laugh didn’t sit well with Seattle’s coaches. 

Outside LBs coach, Chris Partridge, got furious and ended up in a loud shouting match with Rams coordinator Drew Wilkins, and the situation got so heated that other coaches had to physically hold Partridge back to prevent a fight in the crowded elevator.

The tension between Kupp and the Rams front office wasn’t a secret, but new details have emerged, highlighting just how fractured it really was. Last February, the star receiver revealed that the Rams were shopping him. He knew his time in LA was coming to an end. Instead of a trade, he was released in March. 

But Michael Silver of The Athletic revealed that Rams officials went so far as to urge Kupp to retire. They didn’t discuss a pay cut with him for the sake of cap-strapped Rams; instead, they allegedly “unceremoniously cut ties” with the wideout. 

Things were still tolerable at that point. But the disrespect continued. According to sources close to Silver, Kupp came to believe Rams officials were actively devaluing him to potential suitors. They cited age and a string of injuries as the reason for not paying him enough. 

For a player who had delivered a championship just years earlier, the decline in the relationship was heartbreaking. “When it ended with the Rams,” Kupp told Silver, “we weren’t in a good place.”

The whole saga started when the Rams got their hands on Puka Nacua. As he rose to fame, Kupp became a secondary thought in the Rams’ scheme. By October ‘24, his role was limited to merely “fielding calls.” Those close to Kupp believe the team was trying to push him out. 

Ultimately, Kupp found a home in Seattle. And if his second-half performance is any evidence, he proved totally worthy. 

Cooper Kupp took his revenge 

Initially, the Rams’ decision to move on from Kupp looked prophetic. After all, he failed to make a count of either of his targets in the first half. But the story of the veteran receiver is never just about the box score. 

Kupp’s second-half performance was the ultimate validation for Seattle. With the Seahawks clinging to a 24-20 lead, he snagged a low, difficult pass from Sam Darnold on third-and-9 to keep a crucial drive alive. Moments later, he delivered a crushing block on CB Roger McCreary to spring Smith-Njigba for a big gain. In the end, bullying through safety Kam Kinchens, Kupp succeeded with a 13-yard touchdown. 

In front of this, his stat line—four catches for 36 yards and a score—appeared barely to scratch the surface. 

“He’s a leader on the field; he’s a leader off the field,” Darnold showered praises on Kupp post-game. “He can get zero targets and block [Rams Pro Bowl edge rusher] Jared Verse every single play and never complain once.”

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For Kupp, the ball found him at exactly the right time, and in doing so, it sent a clear message to his skeptics in LA. He wasn’t finished; he was just getting started in Seattle.