No team in the NFL is more familiar with an offseason wide receiver saga than the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have flirted with just about every major WR on the trade block in the last couple of years. They just haven't pulled any of those trades off. Cooper Kupp might change that.
Kupp confirmed on social media on Monday that the Los Angeles Rams intend to trade him. He obviously wasn't jazzed about that development.
"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," Kupp wrote in a lengthy post. "I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA."
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.
— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) February 4, 2025
Still, if there’s… pic.twitter.com/XWmbGVscGy
Whether Kupp likes it or not, he's got to look to the future away from Los Angeles. He's a West Coast boy through and through having grown up in Washington. He attended Eastern Washington before being drafted by the Rams in the third round in 2017.
Change comes for us all and entering his 32nd years, maybe it's time for Kupp to embrace living in an entirely different environment....like Pittsburgh.
Cooper Kupp makes too much sense for the Steelers to pass up despite the risk
The Steelers have been searching for a running mate for George Pickens with little success. Their quarterback situation has overshadowed that issue somewhat, but it still looms large. The next QB in black and yellow — be it Russell Wilson, Justin Fields or someone else entirely — needs more weapons to be successful.
Pittsburgh was reportedly serious about pursuing Brandon Aiyuk last year. Kupp isn't in the same mold (Aiyuk is just entering his prime while Kupp is exiting). Still, the veteran is still a force to be reckoned with. He's had 700 or more yards in each of the last six seasons. The Steelers didn't have a 600-yard receiver behind Pickens in 2024.
Kupp's injury record is an issue. He's missed 18 games in the last three seasons with a variety of ailments. The risk of bring him in is clear. At this point though, Pittsburgh should accept a little risk for the potential reward.