If you are a Pittsburgh Steelers fan hoping that the team lands the hottest name on the wide receiver trade market in WR Cooper Kupp, you should be actively rooting against the Los Angeles Rams over their next two games.
The trade deadline is on Nov. 5, which means the Rams will play the 5-1 Minnesota Vikings tonight, and the 4-3 Seattle Seahawks next week before having to make a decision on Kupp. Already at 2-4, that is why Kupp is being viewed as a trade target to begin with. That would be amplified if the Rams find themselves at 2-6.
“They’re not shopping him, they’re taking phone calls on him,” Albert Breer said via The Rich Eisen Show in a clip posted on X. “The mistake that people make is they don’t need to shop him. Teams are calling them. You can see [DeAndre] Hopkins gets traded, and [Amari] Cooper gets traded, and Davante [Adams] gets traded and of course these teams are also calling the Rams. ‘Cause the Rams are sitting there at 2-4. They were 1-4 before Sunday.. I think the question is gonna be whether or not the value matches up because what they’ve told teams is that it’s gonna cost you more than it cost the Jets for Davante Adams.”
Adams fetched a conditional third-round pick that turns into a second-round pick if fairly lofty conditions are met, but the Jets also agreed to take on the entirety of his salary. The Rams are reportedly willing to take on some of Kupp’s salary this year to make it happen, but then want more trade compensation in return. Dianna Russini reported that they are looking for a second-round pick.
At 31 years old, and with an extensive injury history that has made him miss 17 games over the last three seasons, it seems unlikely that anybody will be willing to part ways with a second-round pick for Kupp. Especially given what the market has recently dictated for other notable receiver trades.
The Rams are obviously aware of these circumstances, and any general managers approaching them about a trade are no doubt reminding them constantly. That is why Breer believes the Rams are going to listen and that the outcome of the next two games could have a large sway on the way trade talks go.
“I think the Rams are gonna listen and certainly what happens not only against the Vikings tonight, but what happens against the Seahawks a week from Sunday could affect how they approach that,” Breer said. “If they’re 4-4, it looks a lot different than if they’re 2-6.
Thankfully both of the teams they are playing are in the NFC, so there is no conflict of rooting interest for Steelers fans. If you are among those hoping for Kupp in Pittsburgh, the Vikings and Seahawks are your favorite NFC teams over the next two weeks.
