Cooper Kupp landing spots: Patriots, Steelers among top trade fits for Rams WR

Cooper Kupp apparently showed the Los Angeles Rams‘ hand on Monday when the former Super Bowl MVP said the team hoped to trade him this offseason.

Orchestrating a deal for the 31-year-old, however, might not come easily.

After winning the NFL’s receiving triple crown in a campaign in which he was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year, Kupp has missed 18 regular-season games in the last three seasons due to injury. Compounding the complications are the financial factors, as Kupp is due a $7.5 million roster bonus and $12.5 million in salary in 2025. That payout might prove untenable for teams poking around on a player who has not reached 850 receiving yards in a season since 2021, meaning the Rams might need to either be willing to foot the bill for a portion of what Kupp is due or outright release him.

Regardless, the receiver’s market should materialize in the coming weeks.

Here are six teams that could be fits for Kupp, either in a potential trade or as a free-agent landing spot if he’s released.

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Houston Texans

It’s easy to draw the connection here after Nick Caley, who last year served as the Rams’ passing game coordinator, was hired to be Houston’s offensive coordinator. Caley was only with Los Angeles for the last two years, so he hasn’t worked with Kupp at his peak. But there’s little question that Houston should be evaluating options for a trusted target given Tank Dell’s uncertain timeline for a return from his gruesome knee injury suffered in December and Stefon Diggs’ free-agent status. Kupp could take over Diggs’ work as a short-to-intermediate target while allowing Nico Collins to remain the focal point of the offense, and his addition could help C.J. Stroud better navigate the protection problems that plagued the attack in 2024. The financials, however, could be tricky, as Houston currently has just $101,000 in cap space, according to Over The Cap.

New England Patriots

With a league-high $120 million in cap space at their disposal, the Patriots should be plenty active this offseason in reshaping their offense around Drake Maye. But might New England have their sights set on other pass catchers? Tee Higgins looks to be the most transformational figure available for the aerial attack, and New England is well positioned to win any bidding war it chooses to enter for the pending free agent. Still, Kupp could be one part of an overhaul of the receiving corps, and he could help New England claw closer to Robert Kraft’s stated desire of getting back to the playoffs.

Washington Commanders

Another team flush with cap space, the Commanders have more than $78 million available for 2025. That doesn’t mean that Dan Quinn and Adam Peters will rush out to burn the flexibility afforded to them by Jayden Daniels’ rookie deal, but Washington might be more equipped than many other teams to tolerate some risk here. A solid No. 2 receiver could elevate the attack given that no wideout came within half of Terry McLaurin’s 1,096 receiving yards on the season. Kupp would serve as a fine complement to McLaurin, who is arguably the league’s best in contested catch scenarios and thrives as a downfield option. But the two-time Pro Bowler is also due a hefty extension, and Washington might not want to reconfigure its receiver room around another high-cost option.

Chicago Bears

They’re not exactly a move away from contending for the NFC North crown, so maybe this move would be a tough sell for general manager Ryan Poles. But Chicago does have nearly $63 million in cap space available, ranking sixth among all teams. And after the Keenan Allen acquisition backfired, the Bears could stand to add a safety valve for Caleb Williams as the quarterback tries to master new coach Ben Johnson’s offense by learning to play more on schedule.

Denver Broncos

This doesn’t seem like a pure Sean Payton move, as the coach might be more inclined to fill a void for the Joker role of a running back or tight end who can create mismatches in the passing game with their versatility. But finding a veteran playmaker in free agency could prove difficult, and Denver has to consider all of its options for better supporting Bo Nix in Year 2 of the quarterback’s tenure. Establishing more consistency might begin with finding any pass catchers who can regularly create separation in the intermediate area, and Kupp can step in to solve that issue.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike Tomlin’s team doesn’t have clarity at quarterback yet after the coach said the team needed to weigh all of its options with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both currently ticketed for free agency. No matter what the plan of attack behind center, however, a receiving corps that too often depended on volatile wideout George Pickens is due for a recalibration. Kupp could represent one of Pittsburgh’s better shots at implementing a more sustainable offense in 2025, and his blocking should make him a fast favorite of both Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.