Cooper Kupp

At 30 years old, Cooper Kupp has this physical status:

College career

Kupp began attending Eastern Washington University, where he pledged to play for coach Beau Baldwin's Eastern Washington Eagles football team in 2012 and redshirted the following year. Kupp will eventually be named Eastern's Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year.

Kupp made his redshirt freshman year as a starter at wide receiver in 2013. Kupp retired from football after establishing multiple single-season school and national receiving records at the Football Championship Subdivision Level. Kupp has set national freshman records for receiving yards (1,691), total touchdown catches (21), and receptions (93).

Kupp was named to the All-Big Sky Conference First-Team unanimous pick on November 26, 2013 and also the recipient of the conference's first-ever Freshman of the Year Award.

Kupp was named the recipient of the 2013 Jerry Rice Award, which is given to the top freshman player in the FCS, on December 16, 2013. Kupp is the first Eastern Washington player and first person from the Big Sky Conference to win the award.

Kupp was selected by the four major selectors at the Football Club, including the American Football Coaches Association, the Associated Press, The Sports Network, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, among others. Kupp was the first freshman wide receiver to be named as a first-team All-American since Randy Moss in 1996.

Kupp was honoured by the College Football Performance Awards with the 2013 FCS Wide Receiver Award on January 9, 2014. Following Brandon Kaufman, who received the 2012 award, Kupp is the second straight Eagles wide receiver to win the award.

Kupp's sophomore season was a success, with 104 catches for 1,431 yards and 16 touchdowns in 13 games. For the second straight season, he was named a First-Team All-American by the AFCA, AP, and TSN. He was also named to the first-team All-Big Sky Conference for the second year in a row, while also receiving third-team accolades as a punt returner. In the 2014 Walter Payton Award voting, Kupp came 18th.

Kupp had 114 catches for 1,642 yards and 19 touchdown in 11 games during the 2015 season. Kupp set a new record for catches with 114, the ninth most all-time in FCS single-season history. Kupp was named a first-team All-Big Sky Conference wide receiver for the third year in a row, and he was also named the league's Most Valuable Player. He was only the second wide receiver to be named Big Sky Offensive MVP in the last 42 years. In addition, Kupp received the Walter Payton Award, becoming the third Eastern Washington player to win the tournament and only the second wide receiver to win after Brian Finneran of Villanova in 1997.

Kupp said on November 30, 2015, he would return for his senior season after rumors that he was considering joining the 2016 NFL Draft. During his last collegiate season, he was expected to smash virtually every major FCS record set. He had 117 receptions for 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns in the 2016 season. Kupp's 428 career receptions and 6,464 total receiving yards were among the most impressive in FCS history, beating records set by Terrell Hudgins, who had 395 receptions and 5,250 yards playing for Elon University from 2006 to 2009. In addition, Kupp's 6,464 yards tied Scott Pingel's all-division NCAA record set in 1999, which was accomplished at the Division III level of competition. Kupp's 73 receiving touchdowns also rank first in FCS history, surpassing the 58 touchdowns recorded by New Hampshire's David Ball from 2003-2006.

Professional career

Kupp played for 14 yards for the North, who lost 16–15 to the South at the 2017 Senior Bowl. Kupp's success at the Senior Bowl boosted his draft stock. Kupp was the top performer at the Senior Bowl, according to NFL analyst Bucky Brooks. Kupp completed all the combine drills except for the bench press at the Indianapolis NFL Scouting Combine.

Jordan West, Shaq Hill, Samson Ebukam, Kendrick Bourne, and Miquiyah Zamora all registered to attend Eastern Washington's pro day on March 28, 2017. He attempted all of the combine drills but decided against the bench press and broad jump. Kupp shortened his time in the short shuttle to 6.53 minutes and undertook tactical drills for scouts and team representatives. Kupp was expected to be a second or third round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts at the conclusion of the pre-draft process. NFLDraftScout.com ranked him as the eighth best wide receiver in the draft. Steve Smith Sr. ranked him as the best wide receiver in the draft class.

In the third round (69th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft, Kupp was selected by the Los Angeles Rams. Kupp was the seventh wide receiver drafted in 2017 and the second highest pick in Eastern Washington's history, only behind Michael Roos, who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 2005 NFL Draft (second round, 41st overall). After the Rams selected him in the fourth round (125th overall), he was reunited with Eastern Washington teammate Samson Ebukam.

The Rams signed Kupp to a four-year, $3.83 million contract, with a signing bonus of $954,760.

Kupp spent time in Tavon, Robert Woods, Mike Thomas, Bradley Marquez, Bradley Marquez, Pharoh Cooper, and Josh Reynolds throughout preparation camp for a starting wide receiver job left vacant after Kenny Britt left in free agency. Kupp was the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart behind Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, and Tavon Austin.

Kupp made his NFL debut against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday and collected four receptions for 76 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff, marking his first appearance of his career during the Rams' 46–9 win. Kupp had five catches for 60 yards and a touchdown in Week 35 against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. In the Rams' 33–0 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Week 7, he ran four passes for 51 yards and finished with an 18-yard touchdown. Kupp led the Rams in red-zone targets with 11 and developed as Jared Goff's top receiver in the red-zone and third downs in the first seven games. He was fourth in the entire NFL in red zone goals behind leaders Davante Adams, Larry Fitzgerald, and Dez Bryant, who were tied with 20 red zone targets each. In Week 9, Kupp made his first appearance in football by catching three passes for 54 yards in the Rams' 51–17 win over the New York Giants. Kupp played his first game with over 100 yards against the New Orleans Saints on Week 12, where he finished with 116 as the Rams defeated the Rams in 26-20. He finished with five receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14. Kupp was a full time starter at wide receiver and finished his rookie season in 2017 with 62 receptions for 869 yards and five touchdowns.

With an 11–5 record, the Rams finished at the top of the NFC West. Kupp played in his first appearance in playoff games and made eight receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown in a NFC Wild Card game against the Atlanta Falcons on January 6, 2018.

Kupp was also selected by the Pro Football Writers Association to the 2017 All-Rookie Team following the season.

Kupp, Robert Woods, and offseason trade Brandin Cooks were all rated as a starting wide receiver in 2018. Kupp's passing totals were 162 yards and two touchdowns (all single-game highs), as well as a career-best 70-yard scoring reception against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. Kupp sustained a knee injury against the Denver Broncos last week and was carted off the field. Kupp was ruled out of the lineup and missed the next two games after returning to the field in the third quarter of the Rams' 23-20 win. Kupp sustained a non-contact injury during the Rams' 36-31 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10. Kupp tore his ACL, prematurely ending his season, according to an MRI the following day. Through eight games, he had 40 receptions for 566 yards and six touchdowns. The Rams made it to Super Bowl LIII, defeating the New England Patriots 13–3.

Kupp recovered from his injury in time for the Rams' season opener against the Carolina Panthers. Kupp had at least 100 yards in four games and scored four total touchdowns in the first seven games of the season. Kupp had seven receptions for 220 yards and a touchdown during a 24–10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, marking the first time he had over 200 yards in a single game in his NFL career. Kupp's appearance set a new NFL record for receiving yards in a international NFL game. Kupp scored a receiving touchdown in five straight games from Weeks 13-17.

Kupp finished the 2019 season with 94 receptions for 1,161 yards and ten touchdowns. He led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Kupp and teammate Robert Woods gave the Rams a 1,000-yard receiving duo. Kupp's ten receiving touchdowns tied for the second most in the NFL in 2019. He was ranked 89th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.

Kupp, who wore number 18 for his first three seasons in the NFL, rose to number ten in honor of his collegiate number at Eastern Washington on May 11, 2020. Kupp's three-year, $48 million contract extension with the Rams began on September 12, 2020, with $35.1 million guaranteed. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Rams on December 29, 2020, which led to his release from Week 17. On January 6, 2021, he was activated. He returned to the Rams' Wild Card Round victory over the Seattle Seahawks, but he was forced to miss the Divisional Round's loss to the Green Bay Packers due to a knee injury.

Kupp's season ended with 92 receptions for 974 yards and three touchdowns. He played in three games with at least 100 yards in them. Kupp led the team in receptions and receiving yards for the season.

Kupp's 2021 season was one of the best statistical receiving seasons in NFL history. Kupp started the season on a high note with the addition of Matthew Stafford in the offseason. Kupp had 25 receptions for 367 yards and five touchdowns in victories for the Rams over the season's first three games. Against the Indianapolis Colts, season-high 163-yard, two-touchdown game was included in that stretch. Kupp was held to season lows in receptions (five) and yardage (64) in the Rams' 37-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but he came back with seven catches for 92 yards in a 26-17 victory in Seattle, but he recovered. Kupp had nine receptions for 130 yards and ten receptions for 156 yards in Weeks 6–7, while still receiving two touchdowns in both games against the New York Giants and Detroit Lions. Kupp had a fruitful six-game stretch from Weeks 13-19-18, throwing 118.3 yards per game and six total touchdowns.

Kupp led to numerous franchise single-season reception records in the Rams' 12–5 season, earning Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors. For both September and October, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month. Kupp's 145 receptions for 1,947 yards were both franchise records, and his 16 touchdowns were second to Elroy Hirsch's 17 in 1951. Kupp won the top award in 2021, becoming the first player since Steve Smith Sr. in 2005 to lead the league in receptions, receiving touchdowns, and receiving yards. Kupp's 1,947 yards finished second in NFL history to Calvin Johnson's 1,964 in 2012, second only to Michael Thomas' 149 in 2019.

Kupp won by five receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown in the Wild Card Round against the Arizona Cardinals, in the 34–11 triumph. Kupp's victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round featured nine receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown. Kupp had a pivotal 44-yard reception to help set up the Rams' game-winning field goal. Kupp won by 11 yards and two touchdowns in the 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, taking the Los Angeles Rams back to the Super Bowl for the second time since 2018. Kupp scored his first Super Bowl touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals, receiving an 11-yard pass. Kupp ran for seven yards on a critical 4th-and-1 play, and quarterback Matthew Stafford was involved on several key plays, including the game-winning touchdown that resulted in his selection as the Super Bowl MVP. Kupp's 33 receptions in four playoff games set a new NFL record for a single season, while Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald ranked second in league playoff history. He was ranked fourth by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.

Kupp's three-year, $80 million contract extension with the Rams was signed on June 9, 2022.

Kupp was a touchdown in the NFL Kickoff Game against the Buffalo Bills on September 13, but the 31-10 loss was 31-10. In Week 27, Kupp had 11 receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns, defeating the Atlanta Falcons by 31-27. In a 24–9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4, he had 14 receptions for 122 yards. In Week 5, he had seven receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys, defeating the Dallas Cowboys for 22 points.

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