It’s hard to say that an NFC Championship victory means much more to one player than another, but it would certainly seem that the Seattle Seahawks’ 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday had a little extra meaning for wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
Seattle Seahawks had a brilliant way to get JSN open in NFC title win
Kupp spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Rams before signing with the Seahawks and returning to his home state during this past offseason.
During his time in Los Angeles, Kupp went from a little-known receiver who was drafted in the third round out of FCS school Eastern Washington to one of the league’s premier pass-catchers. That included his remarkable 2021 campaign when he posted the second-most receptions (145) and receiving yards (1,947) in a single season in league history before going on to be named MVP of the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory.
However, Kupp’s tenure in Los Angeles ended unceremoniously when he was cut after the 2024 season.
It was clear at the time that Kupp wasn’t happy about the decision. In a statement on social media in February, he revealed he had been informed of the decision and wrote, “I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA.”
But The Athletic’s Michael Silver reported Sunday night the parting of ways between the parties was even more contentious than initially thought.
According to Silver’s report, when the Rams cut Kupp, they also urged him to retire. And Kupp came to believe that the Rams had “cautioned potential suitors against paying him anything more than the veteran minimum, suggesting that age and an accumulation of injuries had provoked a steep decline.”
The rift between Kupp and the Rams goes further back, though.
As Puka Nacua began to emerge as a star after the Rams picked the receiver in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, Kupp “felt like an afterthought who experienced a sharp reduction of plays schemed to try to get him the ball.”
Los Angeles was also involved with trade talks involving Kupp during the 2024 season, but insisted it was only fielding calls from other teams. Kupp believed that was “disingenuous,” per Silver.
The drama between Kupp and the Rams nearly came to a head in a physical altercation between Seahawks and Rams coaches earlier this season, Silver reported.
When the Seahawks and Rams met in Week 16 at Lumen Field, Kupp had a costly fumble after he caught a pass and worked his way inside the red zone in the final minute of the first half, ending Seattle’s chances of getting points before the break.
As Rams and Seahawks assistants headed to a shared elevator to go to their respective locker rooms at halftime, a witness said Rams coaches were discussing the fumble, per Silver. When one Rams coach asked what Seahawks player was responsible, another said Kupp, and the coach who asked the question snickered. That reportedly led to a fiery response from Seahawks outside linebacker coach Chris Patridge, who was then yelled at by Rams pass rush coordinator Drew Wilkens. Seahawks coaches had to hold Partridge back to avoid a potential fracas.
Word of that altercation reportedly got back to the Seahawks’ locker room and served as a motivating factor for Seattle as it stormed back from down 16 points in the fourth quarter to pull out a 38-37 overtime win.
With Sunday’s NFC Championship win added in, Kupp got the last laugh against his former team. Not only did the Seahawks come out on top, the Yakima native also played a key role in ending his former employer’s season.
COOPER KUPP COMES THROUGH.
LARvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
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— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
Kupp had a key 12-yard grab to convert a third-and-9 and extend a third-quarter drive just after the Rams pulled within 24-20. He capped the march with a 13-yard TD grab that ended up being the winning score in Seattle’s 31-27 victory. Additionally, Kupp made a corkscrew grab where he held on to the ball just long enough to convert a third down and drew a defensive holding call on the Seahawks’ final drive, which helped them leave the Rams only 25 seconds to try to drive 93 yards for a winning score.
More on the Seattle Seahawks
• Seattle Seahawks’ Emmanwori ‘stood out all game’ in NFC Championship
• Macdonald: Jody Allen a ‘driving force’ behind Seattle Seahawks’ success
• Brock and Salk: Seahawks have embraced Macdonald’s message
• Facing former team, Kupp helps propel Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl
• Stacy Rost: Sam Darnold meets the moment for Seattle Seahawks
