5 teams that should rush to the phones and trade for Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp

With the Los Angeles Rams' passing offense going through Puka Nacua now, it may be time for them to pivot off an increasingly expensive and marginalized star. Cooper Kupp won Super Bowl MVP three years ago, but the Rams have not been back to the big game since. After almost forcing their way to the NFC Championship, the Rams are faced with the harsh reality of possibly moving on from him.

Kupp has two more years left on his deal with the Rams he signed back in 2022. We are looking at $5 million guaranteed for 2025. Should the Rams move on from him, it would save them some $15 million, but he would count as a $7.25 hit against the salary cap. With every dollar being precious, I could see general manager Les Snead say, "f**k them Benjamins and go get me some picks instead!"

Kupp told ESPN's Sarah Barshop that he plans on playing in 2025, but he has no idea where it will be.

"I feel like I've got a lot of good football left in me. I'll be playing football next year. That much I know."

Kupp seems to be going about this the right way, but again, there is so much uncertainty in all this.

"Who knows what's going to happen? That's out of my control. And we will see what it's going to be. ... I don't have any clarity on what that's going to look like or anything like that. So yeah, obviously would love to be in L.A., but I don't know what that's going to look like."

If Kupp has played his last down for the Rams, here are five teams who should look to trade for him.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers need to do something offensively if they plan on ever getting back to a Super Bowl under Mike Tomlin's watch. While the Steelers hardly ever employ somebody else's wide receivers, George Pickens is not a No. 1. To be frank, Kupp no longer is either. However, he is the ideal type of veteran receiver who could help bring along whoever ends up starting at quarterback here.

And that right there is the biggest concern I have. I do not know what to make of the Steelers offense next year. Will Arthur Smith still even be around? He may have been great as the offensive coordinator in Nashville, but that was half a decade ago. The Steelers may have the need for a player like Kupp, but unless they can put forth a clear vision for how to use him, he will not want to go there.

In a vacuum, this move makes sense, but nothing logical ever seems to prevail with these Steelers.

4. Minnesota Vikings

I would be lying to you if I did not think the Minnesota Vikings would be a great fit for Kupp as well. They have made their bed with J.J. McCarthy and now they must lie in it. While I am incredibly down on him as a star NFL quarterback, he will be coached by one of Sean McVay's best-known disciples in Kevin O'Connell. For that singular reason, I could actually get behind this potential trade quite well.

However, I still think the Vikings are going to regret pivoting off Sam Darnold this soon. He may have devolved into a pumpkin in the playoffs, but that happens to even the best quarterbacks in the league. McCarthy may have starred in college at Michigan, but that team was defined by defense and running the football. That said, Kupp could be the ideal target to help get the most out of McCarthy.

Because McCarthy is so raw and unproven entering his second NFL season, I still have my concerns.

3. Atlanta Falcons

This is the one you are not thinking about. While it remains to be seen how much spending money a team like the Atlanta Falcons will have, this is a team in need of a No. 3 wide receiver. More importantly, he knows head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson from their time in L.A. Imagine Kupp joining the same receiving corps with Drake London and Darnell Mooney.

Yes, Ray-Ray McCloud III played very well in an expanded role for him last season, but Rondale Moore was supposed to be the Falcons' No. 3 receiving option. While his game and Kupp's are quite different, how many other receivers could come into the Atlanta offense and pick it up right away? As is the case with J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota, Kupp could help bring along Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta.

The Falcons are an ascending franchise, but one that needs to get into the playoffs or else in 2025.

2. Carolina Panthers

This would drive me crazy as a Falcons fan, but I think the potential fit on the Carolina Panthers for Kupp may be too good to pass up. I love Dave Canales as an ascending head coach. Bryce Young got better with every passing game after initially getting benched. The Panthers may employ a similar receiver to that of Kupp in Adam Thielen, but you can't not be Thielen this with Kupp coming aboard.

It may be a bit of a pipe dream, but would it shock you if the Panthers won the NFC South next year? The only team I can definitively cross off are the New Orleans Saints. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trending down like the Rams are. And do you really trust the Falcons? I want to, but I also know what they are capable of. If I were Kupp, I would strongly consider joining an up-and-comer like Carolina.

There is one place where Kupp could go to that I think he could revitalize his career after turning 30.

1. Denver Broncos

I hate to say it, but Sean Payton is one helluva head coach. He took a huge gamble by drafting Bo Nix No. 12 overall when nobody else had a first-round grade on the former Oregon and Auburn quarterback. Payton was rewarded for this by getting the Denver Broncos to their first playoff game in nearly a decade. Denver was no match for the Buffalo Bills. It is why they must add a guy like Kupp.

It would not shock me if the Broncos targeted Nix's adopted brother and Oregon teammate Tez Johnson somewhere in day two. Then again, Johnson is the type of player every team would want to draft. Even then, how sure are we that he and his brother's rapport would translate to the NFL right away? This is why pursuing a proven pass-catcher like Kupp who is clearly on the back nine is vital.

With the right series of moves, maybe the Broncos will be good enough to play in the AFC title bout?