The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to “aggressively pursue” help at the wide receiver position, but the obvious candidates seem limited. But if you take the word “aggressive” to heart, that can open up the possibilities beyond the obvious names. According to Ian Rapoport, the flurry of calls about wide receivers on Tuesday when Davante Adams and Amari Cooper were traded led to teams calling the Los Angeles Rams about Cooper Kupp.
“Sources say during a frenzy of receiver calls that teams began calling the Los Angeles Rams to inquire about the status of Cooper Kupp, who is recovering from a high-ankle sprain he suffered on Sept. 15,” Rapoport wrote via NFL.com. “…The 1-4 Rams have not turned the page to 2025 and even considering a trade for Kupp would be complicated and multi-faceted. But interest from teams is there.”
Rapoport noted that “plenty of teams” have him on their list. Jonathan Jones’ report on CBS Sports earlier today said the Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs were the two most aggressive players in that market right now. There is nothing officially linking them to Kupp, but it is reasonable to assume the interest could be there.
Cooper Kupp was one of the league’s best receivers just a few years ago, with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards, and 16 touchdowns in 2021 en route to a Super Bowl championship with the Rams. He hasn’t had over 1,000 receiving yards since, but he also hasn’t played a full season of games. Since 2022, he has only played in 23 out of a possible 39 games.
The emergence of Puka Nacua in his rookie season last year could reasonably convince the Rams to eventually part ways with a guy like Kupp, especially if teams are offering meaningful compensation. Kupp is questionable for their Week 7 game against the Raiders, but he seems to be close to his return either way.
In the two games before he was injured, Kupp had 18 receptions on 27 targets for 147 yards and a touchdown. That is almost as much as the entire Steelers receiving corps combined outside of George Pickens. He would be a massive upgrade to the roster.
The big issue with a trade for Kupp would be his contract. He is signed through the 2026 season with a pretty large average annual value. I will let our Dave Bryan handle all the plausibility of salary cap stuff if and when talks heat up on Kupp. Usually there is a way to make it work if they really want to.
The Steelers have also been linked to New York Jets WR Mike Williams. After the Jets traded for Davante Adams, Williams was left without a real role and the Jets have reportedly made him available for trade. According to an update from Adam Schefter on ESPN, “The Jets and Steelers decided to table any substantive discussions about Williams until next week, after Sunday night’s game.” That remains a possibility that could heat up next week.
Similar to Kupp, Schefter is also reporting that teams are reaching out about Garrett Wilson, though he added the Jets are not expected to have any interest in trading him.
Williams would be a heck of a lot cheaper and easier to acquire, but he is also isn’t in the same league as Kupp. There are only a little over two weeks until the trade deadline, so talks will start heating up fast either way.
