Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are bracing for the imminent departure of star wide receiver Cooper Kupp after the organization told Kupp it intends to trade him this offseason.
Kupp has spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Rams which included one of the most legendary individual campaigns by a wide receiver in league history, when he led the league with 145 catches, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2021. He would play a pivotal role in helping Los Angeles win a Super Bowl that postseason.
The 31-year-old veteran nonetheless struggled to replicate his once-elite form in recent years and has missed a number of games due to injury. Kupp made clear that the trade wasn’t his choice and that he wanted to end his career in Los Angeles.
Amid the swirling emotions over Kupp’s impending exit, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said he wasn't ”caught off-guard” by the trade news and revealed how he spent his final moments with his trusty target and close friend.
”I was actually over at the [Rams] facility and ran into him kind of soon after that happened,” Stafford told The Sports Daily. “I was able to catch up with him right there, and then I talked to him a little bit later. We had some dinner together and hung out and talked a little bit. It’s a tough situation. It’s the NFL, we understand that, but he’s been a pillar on this team, a pillar in this community for a long time.”
Stafford and Kupp played together for four fruitful seasons with the Rams, helping each other reach new heights—and achieve Super Bowl glory—on the backend of their football careers.
Stafford himself faces a similar uncertain future in Los Angeles, having wrapped up his 16th season in the league following a 28–22 divisional round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in January. The soon-to-be 37-year-old quarterback said he would reassess his situation after the playoff loss.
”I know the guys in the locker room will miss [Kupp],” continued Stafford. “I know our fan base will miss him. He’s meant so much to really everybody in this community, all the guys on our team. I can’t say enough good things about Cooper Kupp and the person that he is, the family that he has, both on and off the field.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Matthew Stafford Shared His Special Final Moments With Cooper Kupp After Trade News.
