The Los Angeles Rams welcomed back their top two receivers in Week 8, and both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua played major roles in the 30-20 upset victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Nacua led L.A. with 106 receiving yards on seven receptions, and Kupp caught five passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. There has been some speculation surrounding Kupp as the Nov. 5 trade deadline nears, but Thursday night was a turning point.
NFL Media previously reported that teams had called the Rams concerning Kupp’s availability. The Athletic reported that the Rams had made calls to prospective trade partners, and even indicated a willingness to take on some of Kupp’s 2024 salary. After the Week 8 victory, Rams coach Sean McVay was asked about those reports.
“Here’s what I’ll tell you,” said McVay. “Teams reached out, some of the things that I’ve seen out there, they are just not true. We’ve addressed that with those individuals. Teams have called about him, and really we let him know what the dialogue was there, and then there’s a lot of stuff out there where there’s not a lot of accountability to the reports, and that’s unfortunate.”
McVay was then asked if Kupp’s performance vs. the Vikings could affect the Rams’ thoughts about potentially trading him.
“I don’t think about those things, I think about coaching our team,” McVay said. “I think a lot of the things that were out there, speculation, was … exactly what that was: speculation. We’re an inside-out organization, I’m really glad to have Cooper Kupp back with us, and that’s what I expect to stay that way.”
Maybe McVay doesn’t ultimately decide if Kupp stays or goes, but him saying he expects Kupp to remain in the fold is notable. After all, the Rams are still in the mix at 3-4. Three of the four teams in the NFC West currently sit at 3-4. Are the Rams really wanting to part ways with their former Super Bowl MVP before the halfway point of the season? Kupp is 31 years old and has missed time in each of the last three seasons due to injury, but he’s a very important piece of the Rams offense.
