The Los Angeles Rams plan to release wide receiver Cooper Kupp when the NFL’s new season starts March 12 if they are unable to find a trade partner, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter Monday.
The news comes after Kupp said in early February that the Rams were attempting to trade him after eight seasons with the club, and that he didn’t like the decision.
The Super Bowl 56 MVP said on social media at the time the Rams told him they “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.”
After a record-breaking 2021 season that saw him lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Kupp signed a three-year contract extension worth $80.1 million. He just completed the first season of that contract and is scheduled to have a cap hit of $29.8 million next season and $27.3 million in 2026.
Kupp’s guaranteed salary next season is only $5 million, and he has no guaranteed money on the final year of the contract in 2026. If the Rams trade Kupp in a deal designated post-June 1, they will save $20 million toward their 2025 salary cap.
If the Rams cut Kupp this offseason, they will save $15 million in cash and $7.52 million against the salary cap. If the Rams release him without a post-June 1 designation, they will absorb $22.2 million in dead money due to the remaining prorated portions of his signing bonus and $5 million of his roster bonus.
Kupp usually has been a prolific receiver whenever healthy for the Rams, who drafted him in the third round out of Eastern Washington a few months after hiring Sean McVay as their head coach.
Kupp has been a centerpiece of McVay’s offensive game plans throughout his career, catching 634 passes for 7,776 yards and 57 touchdowns.
ESPN’s Sarah Barshop and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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