New Chapter Begins as Cooper Kupp Comes ‘Full Circle’ Joining Seahawks
RENTON, Wash. - Sporting a black and red flannel jacket and a Pearl Jam band t-shirt that may or may not have been from an era prior to his own existence, Cooper Kupp couldn’t have possibly looked like a more natural fit for the Pacific Northwest as he strolled into the VMAC for the first time to officially sign a three-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
If Kupp seems like he’s right at home, well, the Yakima native and Eastern Washington alum truly is as he embarks on the next stage of his NFL career. Only days after being released by the Rams in a cost-saving maneuver, he landed back on his feet with the team that he grew up idolizing, and as he spoke with reporters for the first time on Tuesday, he reminisced about his experience as an authentic member of the 12s freezing his tail off at the top of then-named Qwest Field back in December 2006 when the Seahawks edged the Packers on Monday Night Football.
“I was up in the very top frozen. It was the icicle up there,” Kupp laughed. “But, yeah, it was incredible watching, [Shaun] Alexander went off. It was a crazy one. I feel like I got to miss school the next day, so it was like bonus points because I didn't have to go to school the next day. But being there, being part of that environment, that was a special thing, growing up to be able to go to a Seahawks game.”
Since that instant prime time classic that looked like it was played in Green Bay instead of Seattle nearly 20 years ago, much to the chagrin of those who cheered him on when he lit up opponents in Cheney, Kupp has been back to Lumen Field on several occasions in a Rams uniform starring in the role of the enemy. Torturing the same fan base that he used to actively be part of, he enjoyed some of his finest games against his home state team, including snagging 11 receptions for 104 yards in a 26-20 overtime win last November.
But the next time Kupp takes the turf, as previewed on Thursday when he held up a navy No. 10 jersey as well as a royal blue 90s throwback before heading over to the podium to field questions, the hometown kid won’t have to worry about 12s holding a grudge against him as a key member of an NFC West rival anymore. Instead, he will finally get to don the colors that he grew up cheering for, providing an opportunity to make big catches in front of a crowd that will include many youngsters with the same hopes and dreams he once had to eventually play for the Seahawks.
As he walked through the hallways for the first time, Kupp kept looking at photos on the walls and reliving exciting flashbacks, remembering exactly where he was at the time when major moments in Seahawks history happened. Now, he has sights set on creating similar memories for young fans in a different generation.
“It’s a really cool thing,” Kupp said. “Growing up watching Seattle, watching football being a huge part of my life, and then playing at Eastern Washington, [it’s a] full circle moment coming back, being able to throw on a Seattle Seahawks uniform. That’s a really cool thing and something that I don’t take lightly and just really excited to be part of this program, what this program has been about and continue to move it forward.”
Playing his first eight NFL seasons in Los Angeles, Kupp acknowledged that the past few months have been quite difficult for him and his family. Previously clinching the triple crown by leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns back in 2021, the former Offensive Player of the Year believed he would finish his career with the Rams.
But fate would have different plans for Kupp. Just days after the Rams lost to the Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round, after finishing the season with 710 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 12 games, he was informed of their plans to begin “seeking” a trade partner immediately. Predictably, given his large contract and recent injury woes, a trade never materialized and the team ultimately released him on March 12.
Since Kupp already knew well beforehand that he would be changing teams, he had time to mentally prepare for the possibility of being a free agent. Having already thought through what he wanted from his next destination with his family in consideration, the Seahawks quickly emerged as the best fit, and his decision to sign with them only a few days after becoming available didn’t simply boil down to the opportunity to make a homecoming to Washington.
While speaking with multiple teams, Kupp valued the messaging he received from Seahawks general manager John Schneider, coach Mike Macdonald, and others within the organization, sharing the same vision about how to build a championship team. Prior to making his decision, linebacker Ernest Jones - who he played three seasons with in Los Angeles - and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as well as recently signed quarterback Sam Darnold went into recruiter mode, aiming to persuade him to come be part of something special brewing in Seattle.
“We're trying to get solid people that know how to work, that are about playing this game the right way,” Kupp remarked. “I know that's how you build a good team. I know the best teams I've been a part of have been built that way. And so that excited me. And as time went on, talking to Ernest Jones, who's been here, I've known, talking to Jaxon, talking with Sam [Darnold] after he had signed on, and various guys in the organization, there's the same messaging every time. It's like, hey, we're building something here that's special and we've got the right people in the building to do it. It just built up and I'm really excited to be part of it.”
Looking towards his fresh start with great eagerness, Kupp will be joining an offensive unit that has undergone seismic personnel changes over the past couple of weeks. Only days before the start of the free agency, the Seahawks traded quarterback Geno Smith to the Raiders for a third-round pick and receiver DK Metcalf to the Steelers for a second-round pick, and those two blockbusters came on the heels of releasing iconic receiver Tyler Lockett, leaving gaping holes under center and on the outside alongside Smith-Njigba.
Initially, Kupp worried he might be “behind the 8-ball” coming onboard in mid-March with a new offense. In addition, though he acknowledged that he quickly built a rapport with Matthew Stafford when they first linked up with the Rams, he will have to build chemistry with Darnold while the two navigate the new scheme together. There also will be questions about how he coexists in the same offense with Smith-Njigba given their similar output working primarily from the slot.
However, with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak replacing Ryan Grubb this offseason, the entire team will be starting from square one when OTAs begin next month, so Kupp won’t be playing catchup after all, allowing the entire group to learn new verbiage together at the same time. There should also be some carryover between Kubiak’s system and the one he starred in for Sean McVay with the Rams, as both coaches came up through the Shanahan coaching tree before branching off with their own iterations of the system, which should help ease the transition to an extent.
“We get to learn this offense together. As the players come in and bring it to life, it grows, it changes, it morphs,” Kupp said.
After battling through a myriad of injuries over the past three seasons, the 31-year old Kupp understands that some may have doubts about him rounding back into form as he enters his ninth NFL season with a new team. He has missed at least five games in each of those seasons, failing to hit the 1,000-yard mark again after his historic campaign in 2021, and that diminished production played a significant role in his departure from Los Angeles.
This won’t be the first time Kupp has drawn skepticism. At one point, he was an undersized varsity player with aspirations of becoming a running back at USC, only to quickly realize those ambitions were a pipe dream, and nobody could have foreseen his eventual ascent as a standout NFL receiver.
But rather than aim to prove those critics wrong and give into the negative energy that often comes with a redemptive mindset, Kupp plans to do what he has done throughout his football career by focusing on playing within himself to build/maintain confidence and controlling what he can control. Whether that comes in the form of extra reps with Darnold this offseason or spending a few more hours in the film room mastering Kubiak’s offense, he’s going to continue to do what he needs to do to prepare himself for success as he starts his next chapter back home with the Seahawks.
“When I've taken that attitude, when I've taken that mindset, that's when I've always been at my best. And I'll continue that. I know how to navigate these waters. I've been here before. And it's not about the negative energy of trying to prove anything wrong, anyone else wrong, trying to make anyone else feel bad about anything. It’s just about being myself and being who I believe I can be and going out there and playing the game I love.”
