The Vikings Can Now Make a Bold Trade
Slightly over two weeks ago, Cooper Kupp sounded like a man winding down his tenure with the Los Angeles Rams after his team lost in the postseason to the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The Vikings Can Now Make a Bold Trade
On Monday, that outlook became semi-official, as the Rams will seek to trade Kupp this offseason.
Kupp personally tweeted, “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 one thing that I have learned over the years: there are so many things that are out of your control, but it is how you respond to these things that you will look back on and remember.”
The announcement arrived the same day that the Cleveland Browns’ six-time All-Pro Myles Garrett requested a trade. A busy offseason day, indeed.
“I have taken so much pride in playing alongside my teammates for the LA community, so thank you for embracing my family and making this such a special place for us. 2024 began with one of the best training camps of my career. Preparations start now for 2025,” Kupp added. “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.”
In 2020 and 2021, Minnesota Vikings head coach O’Connell offensively coordinated Kupp and the Rams, even winning a Super Bowl in 2021, the springboard event that propelled O’Connell to Minnesota. Kupp won the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year Award with O’Connell in charge during the 2021 campaign.
So, while it’s unclear if Minnesota wishes to upgrade the WR3 spot — Jalen Nailor currently owns the title — Kupp more than has the connection to the Vikings through O’Connell, assuming the franchise wants to bolster the wide receiver room.
How would he fit with the Vikings? Simple — an outstanding WR3. Nailor held the role this season, and he flashed in spots. However, 414 receiving yards from a WR3, Nailor’s 2024 stat line, isn’t superb, especially for a team that didn’t have tight end T.J. Hockenson for 7 games.
Kupp, at age 32 next season, would represent a serious upgrade. The ties to O’Connell obviously do not hurt the Kupp-to-Vikings theory.
Minnesota’s 2025 WR room could look something like this:
- Justin Jefferson
- Jordan Addison
- Cooper Kupp
- Jalen Nailor
- Brandon Powell
It’s worth noting that Kupp’s teammate, Tutu Atwell, is scheduled to hit free agency, though he’s nowhere near the commodity that Kupp would bring to the table in Minnesota. Kupp posted 67 receptions for 710 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024, which screams WR3 on a WR-deep team like the Vikings.
It’s also worth noting that Jordan Addison could miss the start of the 2025 season due to a three-game suspension if the NFL puts him on the shelf for a July 2024 alleged DUI. That legal process will play out this offseason.
Onboarding Kupp will likely come down to price — will the Vikings have the 2026 draft capital to acquire him? Minnesota donated most of the mid- and late-round 2025 draft class to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the draft pick that netted outside linebacker Dallas Turner.
But one thing is certain: O’Connell working for the Vikings might be the selling point of any NFL team to trade for Kupp if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wants the Super Bowl LVI MVP. There’s also the money angle. Minnesota must decide if it can support Kupp’s contract or renegotiate the deal.
Kupp is 31 now and will turn 32 this summer.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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