The Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp were connected prior to the 2024 trade deadline. So, when Kupp posted on Monday evening that the Rams were seeking to trade him, the rumor mill was back. Would the Steelers try to acquire Kupp this offseason after courting him in 2024?
Well, there is at least one major sticking point. Steelers Depot’s Dave Bryan pointed out the $7.5 million elephant in the room, Kupp’s roster bonus due in March. The Steelers would not want to tack that charge on top of his $12.5 million base salary for 2025. So either the Steelers would need to wait until after March 15th, or they would need some help from the Rams.
According to NFL Ian Rapoport, the Rams are certainly open to helping out whichever team acquires Kupp.
“My understanding is the Rams are at least willing to eat some of the money,” said Rapoport on Tuesday’s episode of the Insiders on NFL Network. “Potentially paying down the 7.5 million-dollar signing bonus, which a lot of that is guaranteed for Kupp, maybe easing the burden on an acquiring team, maybe making a trade a little easier.”
The Rams are in a bind when it comes to Cooper Kupp. Four seasons ago, he led the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), receiving touchdowns (16), and receiving yards per game (114.5). His performance earned him a Pro Bowl nod and a First-Team All-Pro spot. Both the Associated Press and the Pro Football Writers of America named Kupp their Offensive Player of the Year.
Unfortunately, that was the last season that Kupp played all 17 games. In 2022, he played nine games, while he played 12 in each of the last two seasons. He’s still averaging over 10 yards a reception and grabbing at least five touchdowns a year, but he’s not staying healthy.
And there’s the problem of the $7.5 million bonus in March. The Rams cannot do anything about Kupp’s health. But they can help with the financial issues of a trade. And that may be enough for a team like the Steelers to pull the trigger on a trade for Cooper Kupp.
