Puka Nacua Offers Funny Response to Cooper Kupp Trade News

Rams fans received shocking news on Monday afternoon that the team was looking to trade star wide receiver Cooper Kupp in the offseason. As surprising as the decision itself was the way it became public. Kupp himself posted a statement on social media that despite his desire to stay, the Rams were shopping him.

This understandably sent shockwaves around the NFL. Kupp may not be at the elite level he was during his record-breaking 2021 season, but he is still a solid playmaker. At age 31 and with his injury history, there are obvious concerns about him going forward, but deciding to trade a fan favorite who wants to stay with the team is a rather surprising decision.

Even his teammates were caught off-guard by the news. Puka Nacua took to social media after the news broke and said, "I thought it was just the NBA trade season".

Nacua is referring to the blockbuster deals in the NBA that have swept the sports world ahead of the trade deadline. The star pass-catcher was obviously not expecting to see his teammate revealing the team's intentions to trade him.

Kupp has two more seasons on his extension and carries a cap hit of $29.8 million in 2025 and $27.3 million in 2026. That is obviously the impetus for this trade. The Rams can save $20 million toward their 2025 salary cap if they trade him in a deal designated post-June 1. If they can't find such a deal, the Rams can still save $7.5 million against the salary cap by cutting him this offseason.

Considering his production last season, the Rams are hoping that they can find Kupp a new home. Working with him to help him land on a Super Bowl contender in the final years of his career would be the ideal scenario for both sides.

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