![Cooper Kupp, Minnesota Vikings](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MixCollage-04-Feb-2025-05-31-PM-5997-e1738711914235.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780)
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Cooper Kupp #10 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on after facing the Seattle Seahawks.
The Minnesota Vikings’ offensive firepower stands among the best in the NFL. However, the Vikings cannot rest on their laurels, and an addition like Los Angeles Rams Pro Bowl wide receiver and former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp could be fitting.
Kupp announced that the Rams informed him they would seek to find a new home for him via trade.
According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Kupp has “fans” in notable places on the Vikings.
“Facts: I don’t know anything about anything,” Seifert posted on X on February 3. “WR is hardly a need for the Vikings, they really can’t part with more draft picks, often these situations lead to a release, there are a lot of Cooper Kupp fans on the Minnesota coaching staff.”
Facts:
I don’t know anything about anything.
WR is hardly a need for the Vikings.
They really can’t part with more draft picks.
Often these situations lead to a release.
There are a lot of Cooper Kupp fans on the Minnesota coaching staff. https://t.co/Y7qcFzmcqd
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) February 4, 2025
The Vikings have one pick – No. 24 overall – in the top 100 selections in the 2025 draft.The Vikings also have four-time Pro Bowler Justin Jefferson, and 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison has flashed his potential opposite him. Vikings 2022 sixth-round pick Jalen Nailor was WR3 last season and they rely heavily on tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Still, Seifert’s final note could prove most significant. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spent two seasons as the Rams’ offensive coordinator from 2020 through 2021.
Kupp is still a reliable target when he is on the field.
Cooper Kupp’s Production Not Meeting Cost for Rams
GettyCooper Kupp #10 of the Los Angeles Rams during a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
“I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships. I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA,” Kupp posted on X on February 3.
“2024 began with one of the best training camps of my career. Preparations start now for 2025. Highly motivated, as healthy as ever, and looking forward to playing elite football for years to come. Love you guys.. But coming for it all.”
I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships. I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA.
Still, if there’s…
Kupp caught 67 passes for 710 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024.
He would have ranked second, third, and third on the Vikings with that line, and he did it in 12 games.
That is part of the issue, though. Kupp has put together two full slates of regular season games in his career. He was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 2021, winning the receiving triple crown and winning a Super Bowl with the Rams that season.
However, his injuries have left him unavailable too often for the Rams at his current price.
“Injuries have been partially to blame as Kupp has dealt with ailments in each of the last three seasons. He played in just nine regular-season games in 2022, and 12 games apiece in 2023 and 2024 — with a high ankle sprain costing him time this season,” The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue wrote on February 3. “That dip in production did not meet his current salary in the Rams’ eyes.
Rodrigue reported that the Rams have yet to approach Kupp about restructuring his contract. They could do so to retain him or to facilitate a trade.
Vikings Could Get Cooper Kupp at Discount
GettyCooper Kupp #10 of the Los Angeles Rams warms up before a game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Kupp will count $29.7 million against the salary cap in 2025 and $27.3 million in 2026. There is also a $7.5 million roster bonus that is due in March.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Rams may be willing to eat part of the $12.5 million in guarantees Kupp is owed over the next two seasons to help make a trade. That could soften the blow of having to surrender draft capital to acquire him.
“My understanding is the Rams are at least willing to eat some of the money, potentially paying down the $7.5 million signing bonus,” Rapoport reported on “Super Bowl Live” on February 4. “A lot of that is fully guaranteed for Kupp, maybe easing the burden on an acquiring team, maybe making a trade a little easier.”
Whether or not that is enough to entice the Vikings remains unclear.