The Los Angeles Rams have been a topic of discussion for multiple reasons once the season ended. Shortly after their elimination in the postseason, Cooper Kupp posted online that the Rams would look to find a trade partner for him.
He's struggled to stay healthy over the last three seasons, and with the emergence of Puka Nucua, the need for Kupp started to fade.
The Rams also had drama around Matthew Stafford and whether he would be back in the fold for the 2025 season. Los Angeles got an answer on Friday. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Stafford and the Rams have agreed to a restructured deal that will keep him around for the foreseeable future.
LA’s quarterback is back: the Rams and Matthew Stafford reached agreement today on a restructured deal that keeps him in Los Angeles and quashes any and all trade speculation, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2025
The first significant off-season QB domino has fallen. pic.twitter.com/wNwydqn49R
Stafford and Rams Agreed to New Deal
With Stafford locked in, the idea of trading Kupp just got a tad more difficult. The Rams have one of the best teams in the NFC, so the idea of moving on from a productive weapon after Stafford re-upped with Los Angeles could be a bad decision.
According to Spotrac, the Rams have the 15th most cap space available at $43 million. That's more than enough money to absorb Kupp's 2025 cap number ($29.7 million). Granted, that's a lot of money for a player who hasn't played in more than 12 games since 2021.
But it's hard to move on from talented weapons in an offensive-heavy league. In 48 games, Stafford and Kupp connected for 341 catches, 4,159 receiving yards, and 34 touchdowns.
Nucua has emerged as the No. 1 option in the aerial attack, but if the Rams move on from Kupp, that creates a massive hole in the receiver core. They already have Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell hitting free agency. If they move on from Kupp, they may have to replace three receivers in the coming months, and that's a tough task.
With Stafford returning in 2025, Los Angeles may have to revisit their thought process around Kupp.