RENTON, Wash. — When the Seattle Seahawks play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, it will mark Cooper Kupp‘s first time facing his old team since the veteran receiver was released in March after eight seasons. Kupp has been open about how he disagreed with the Rams’ decision to move on from him and about how difficult that experience was on him and his family.
As tempting as it might be to call this a revenge game, nothing Kupp said Wednesday — or at his introductory news conference in March — suggests he’s approaching it as such.
“It’s another football game,” he said. “You get out there, play your game. I love these guys. I love so many of the guys over there. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to go play a football game. So that’s going to be what it is. Try to treat this the same as any other game. Go out there and be able to lock in and do your job one play after the next, take that play-by-play mindset. Same as usual.”
The Seahawks and Rams are tied atop the NFC West at 7-2, so sole possession of first place in the division will be on the line when they square off for the first time this season.
“You can’t make this game about yourself,” Kupp said. “It just doesn’t work that way. It’s just too much of a team game. There’s too many guys on the field doing too many things, working at such a high level. It’s just about controlling what you can control, being a positive part of whatever’s called and executing at a high level and coming back and doing it over and over again. It would just be a shame to say I want this game more than any other game. That’s doing a disservice to the guys that sit in this room with me, that I would hold back anything from them [for] my own ambitions or wants.”
Rams coach Sean McVay struck a similar note earlier this week while calling Kupp a “special human” who “elevated a lot of people in this building.”
“I think this is about the Rams versus the Seahawks, but you don’t deny and you’re not naive to what this guy has meant to the franchise,” McVay said. “His rookie year coincides with the first year that I was fortunate enough to get here. There are a lot of touch points. There’s a lot of love. I think you definitely acknowledge that, but at the end of the day, you still do have a job and a responsibility to the collective.”
Kupp went from a third-round pick in 2017 out of FCS Eastern Washington to a focal point of McVay’s offense. He completed the receiving triple crown in 2021 with 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns before helping the Rams win Super Bowl LVI. Kupp caught the winning touchdown and was named the game’s MVP.
But injuries limited Kupp to 33 games over the next three seasons, a significant factor in the Rams’ decision to part ways. They informed him of their intention to trade him in February, then released him in March after no trade materialized.
“I’m obviously so thankful for my time there,” he said. “Incredible experience. Built so much with just the fans, with the guys I was able to play with. Nothing but love for that city. But like I said, you’ve got to be able to lock in for the game and what’s ahead of you. So I think it’ll be fun. I’m excited to go out there. This is a real good football team, a real good football team and presents some great challenges for us. Excited to go out there and compete.”
The Seahawks signed Kupp to a three-year, $45 million deal as part of the overhaul of their receiver corps, which included Tyler Lockett‘s release and the trade of DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh. As their No. 2 receiver behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kupp has 26 catches on 35 attempts for 367 yards and a touchdown in eight games. He missed Seattle’s win over the Washington Commanders in Week 9 with a hamstring injury, then returned last week against the Arizona Cardinals, catching two passes for 74 yards as the Seahawks won their fourth straight game.
“I’m glad that I was able to be a part of it last week, but feeling good,” he said. “Excited to go this week.”
After signing with the Seahawks, Kupp said in March that he hadn’t gotten much clarity on why the Rams moved on. He got that clarity over the summer, and from the sound of it, he got closure as well.
“I was able to have some conversations in private with people in the organization to try to get to that point,” he said. “It was important. It was important enough for me to reach out and try to get that. I’m glad to be in that place. I’m looking forward to being able to see some people pregame, give them a hug, and then when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.”
ESPN’s Sarah Barshop contributed to this report.
