Could Rams, Kupp re-think their split?

If the Rams are unable to trade Cooper Kupp, shouldn’t the player consider a pay cut?

Divorces are never easy, but the split between Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams seems to be taking an uglier path than most players on the NFL trade block. Even still, if Kupp knows what’s good for him — Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay — he should consider trying to make amends with L.A. if they’re unable to find a trade partner.

Given how hard it could be to find a taker of his $20 million (minus whatever the Rams will pay), the Rams and Kupp should explore reconciliation if they can’t get a trade done.

Because if the Rams are willing to release Kupp, and surely they are, there’s still no better match for either side than Stafford for Kupp and Kupp for the role that he’s about to vacate on L.A.’s offense.

What is Kupp owed?

L.A.’s overpay to extend Kupp after his incredible 2021 season has resulted in the following 2025 contract numbers:

• $29.8 million cap hit to the Rams
• $7.5 million bonus ($5 million guaranteed)
• $12.5 million base salary (none of it guaranteed)

If the Rams trade Kupp, how much they save will depend on how much they pay to get a team to take him off of their books. But maybe at most they will save $7.5 million in cap space.

That’s the same amount the Rams would save by simply releasing Kupp outright.

However, L.A. also saves the $15 million in cash that Kupp is not guaranteed and that’s important too. $15 million in cash is $15 million that the team can keep in the pool to spend on players in 2025.

Including the player who would have to replace Kupp.

Which, for all intents and purposes…makes sense to be Cooper Kupp.

Is it too late to go back?

There are signs that the player and the team are not on good terms and/or that the Rams are moving on for reasons that go beyond money.

For one, Kupp decided to make a social media post explaining that the team is trying to trade him against his wishes. That’s uh…yeah…that’s not good.

There are also reports that the Rams weren’t actively engaging in renegotiation talks with Kupp on his contract.

However, those reports specifically cited a “restructure” which is a completely different beast than a pay cut. A restructure means that the player gets all the money he’s owed, just upfront instead of later.

That’s the opposite of what the Rams want to do with a 32-year-old receiver so it only makes sense that L.A. wasn’t trying to turn Kupp’s salary into a BONUS. Restructuring Kupp in 2025 means that his cap hit in 2026 goes up to $36.7 million and makes it slightly — albeit not entirely — harder to release with a bigger dead money hit on the books next offseason.

But what if the Rams can’t trade Kupp and he’s not going to get the other $15 million anyway?

Well, then why shouldn’t the Rams make the consideration of keeping Kupp at half of the amount he’s owed?

Better yet, news flash to Cooper Kupp: Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay is the best you’re gonna get!

Making the Hall of Fame may not matter to Kupp, but he’s certainly not even close yet. In eight seasons, Kupp has broken the 1,000-yard mark only twice and aside from his triple crown/Super Bowl MVP season, we wouldn’t even be entertaining the conversation about Canton.

Kupp’s 7,776 career yards ranks 126th all time and he’d have to win maybe 2 more Super Bowl MVPs just to have a chance. If Torry Holt can’t get in, Kupp doesn’t have a chance.

Setting aside the Hall of Fame then, what about just having the best career possible in your 30s? Stafford, who has let it be known that Kupp is his favorite teammate of all-time, is as good as any QB in NFL HISTORY at getting his top guys the football:

• Calvin Johnson’s record-setting season in 2012
• Kupp’s record-setting season in 2021
• Puka Nacua’s record-setting season in 2023

Not even playing with Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen is going to compare — from a receiver’s perspective— to playing with Matthew Stafford.

What would it take to bring him back?

If the Rams are unable to trade Kupp, and they are able to come to an agreement that satisfies Stafford, then surely they’re going to need to think about who starts alongside Nacua.

Is it Jordan Whittington? Do they re-sign Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell? Do they try to sign Tee Higgins or Chris Godwin?

There’s a lot of things the Rams could do at receiver but maybe none of them compare to simply re-signing Kupp, which the team could avoid if the player is willing to take a pay cut before that happens.

Even if Kupp hits the free agent market, he may be hit with the hard reality that no team is going to pay him the $15 million he wasn’t paid by the Rams. He might be lucky to get $10 million. It’s a buyer’s market and there’s no shortage of over-30 receivers about to hit free agency or the trade block, including Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Tyler Lockett, and quite a few others.

Teams will especially hesitate to give Kupp $10 million next season given his inability to stay healthy, a trend that has followed him for his entire career.

Kupp is scheduled to make $12.5 million + $2.5 million that’s not guaranteed to him in the bonus, right?

What if instead the Rams re-do Kupp’s deal to pay him a $1.25 million base salary in 2025, the vet minimum and $10 million in incentives based on games played and production? If the Rams pay Kupp something like $6 million in bonuses based on games played and $4 million based on hitting certain thresholds, he could still get 66% of what he’s not getting by being released.

You’re probably wondering why Kupp would agree to such a low base salary, and that’s because the Rams would still honor it as a two-year deal, including an injury-guaranteed $5 million roster bonus in 2026. Essentially, Kupp gets his $15 million and the Rams get some insurance if he ends up missing half of the season or more.

Alternatives like Adams feel like a pointless lateral move, while most receivers on the market will be downgrades. It could also save the Rams the trouble of using a first round pick on a wide receiver when the better option would be to take one in the third round or later.

Is it too late to repair this relationship? Do the Rams even want to or are they ready to get younger at the position no matter what?

Maybe and maybe. But if the Rams can’t trade Cooper Kupp, he should take that as a sign that L.A. — at a reduced rate — was always where he was meant to be.