5 Super Bowl contenders who can give Cooper Kupp his chance to compete for championships again

By the time that the 2025 NFL season kicks off, Cooper Kupp will almost certainly be wearing another uniform. The 31-year-old said so himself in a post on X. The Los Angeles Rams have made it clear to him that they intend to trade him immediately, and chances are, they'll have plenty of interested suitors.

Kupp might not be the elite talent he once was in 2021 and might come with injury concerns, but when he's on the field, he's still a quality receiver any team would want.

What really stood out in Kupp's statement other than his love for the Rams organization is that he still has a desire to win Super Bowls. He didn't say that the Rams are working with him to find an acceptable suitor - he said the Rams are going to help him find the right place to continue competing for championships. His primary goal is abundantly clear - he wants to hoist another Lombardi Trophy.

These five teams can offer Kupp that very opportunity.

5) Cooper Kupp won't have to travel far to join an ideal suitor

How convenient would it be to get traded to a team with a legitimate shot of making some noise in the NFL playoffs that happens to share a stadium with the Rams? The Los Angeles Chargers stick out as a Kupp destination, and it isn't hard to see why.

Playoff blunder aside, this Chargers roster is really stout. Justin Herbert is an elite quarterback, Jim Harbaugh is an excellent head coach, their offensive tackles are awesome, and their defense was among the best in the sport this past season. The biggest hole on this roster, though, was their lack of complimentary options to Ladd McConkey in the wide receiver room.

McConkey was nothing short of electric in his rookie year, but as we saw in Los Angeles' lone playoff game, he cannot do it all alone. The Chargers' passing attack was subpar in 2024 and that's probably because Quentin Johnston, a receiver known more for dropping passes than catching them, was their WR2.

Giving an elite quarterback like Herbert a reliable second option to target paired with an elite defense could be the key to getting the Chargers to make a deep run. Herbert is going to have to prove he can play in the playoffs, and the AFC is really tough, but the Chargers would improve exponentially if they could add Kupp.

4) Cooper Kupp might finally be the receiver the Steelers have been waiting for

It feels as if every time a wide receiver becomes available, the Pittsburgh Steelers are listed as a possibility, only for them to not end up with the said player. Kupp might wind up being the receiver they can acquire, and they can do so without breaking the bank draft pick-wise.

The Steelers averaged just 192 passing yards per game in the regular season - the sixth-fewest in the NFL. Much like the Chargers, they lacked any sort of reliable option outside of their No. 1 receiver - George Pickens.

Kupp would give Pittsburgh the reliable target its offense has been missing. The Steelers are always in the playoffs, but fail to get over the hump once they get there in large part due to their inability to make the big move. Kupp alone might not get them over the top, and the quarterback position is a major problem, but he would certainly improve their chances.

3) The Commanders have the roster and cap space to make a Cooper Kupp fit seamless

The Washington Commanders look like a very ideal fit for Cooper Kupp for a couple of reasons. First, they have over $78 million in cap space according to Over The Cap - the third-most in the NFL. Kupp's bloated contract isn't nearly as big of an issue for them as it would be for other contenders. Second, the team is already a Super Bowl contender without him.

The Commanders, seemingly out of nowhere, made a run to the NFC Championship Game. That game proved that they need to address their defense this offseason, but that shouldn't stop them from trying to make an already elite offense even better.

Jayden Daniels was one of the best quarterbacks in the league as a rookie, and the Commanders have potentially the most underrated wideout in Terry McLaurin leading the way as his No. 1 receiver. What this offense lacks, though, is a No. 2. Kupp can be that.

Olamide Zaccheaus, Noah Brown, and Dyami Brown, their three-best wide receivers not named McLaurin, are all free agents, and neither of them is good enough to be WR2s on a Super Bowl champion anyway. Kupp certainly is, and can bring an outstanding postseason track record to Washington as well. The fit makes too much sense.

2) The Bills' offense can get even scarier with Cooper Kupp in the mix

Let me make this abundantly clear. The Buffalo Bills did not lose in the AFC Championship Game because of their offense. They scored 29 points, and even left some points on the table. With that being said, though, this team could still use a boost in the wide receiver room, and their Championship Game defeat proved that.

Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman are nice receivers, but neither are WR1 types. Kupp might not be at this stage of his career either, but a trio consisting of Shakir, Coleman, and Kupp would be really tough to defend.

The Bills tried to bolster their receiver room by trading for Amari Cooper, but that didn't work. While Kupp might not be the best fit either, especially with a receiver of Shakir's skillset in the fold, they need talent and won't have much cap space to work with. Kupp on a revised contract - whether that comes from the Rams eating money or Buffalo extending him - might be the most talented wideout they can realistically get.

The Bills don't need the star version of Kupp, but they do need him to be a key contributor, which he's more than capable of doing when he's on the field. Plus, they're a team that can survive if he misses time with an injury. If they can get his contract down to a manageable number, the Bills should go for it.

1) The Chiefs always seem to find a way to make a splash

If Cooper Kupp's primary goal is truly to join a contender, why wouldn't the Kansas City Chiefs be at the top of his list? The Chiefs not only are attempting to pull off a three-peat, but they have the targets available to keep Kupp happy, and can probably make it work financially as well.

While Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are locked in, DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Justin Watson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Mecole Hardman are all free agents. With Rice recovering from a major injury and Worthy having an inconsistent rookie season, there's ample opportunity for a player like Kupp to play a major role in an offense that will be in Super Bowl contention.

Is this the most likely landing spot? Probably not, but the Chiefs are inevitable. If they want Kupp, a player they were linked to this past season, they'll almost certainly find a way to make it happen. If it does, Kupp will have the opportunity to put up gaudy-ish numbers while also having his best chance of winning another ring. Plus, with Kansas City's luck on his side, he might be able to stay on the field.