Cooper Kupp returns home with 3-year, $45M deal with Seahawks

Former Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks, multiple outlets reported Friday.

Joining the Seahawks rates as a homecoming for Kupp, who grew up roughly 140 miles away in Yakima, Wash., and was later an FCS star at Eastern Washington.

Kupp confirmed the development on social media with a picture showing him in a Seattle uniform and saying, “Washington back across my chest. Let’s go!!!!!”

Kupp was formally released by the Rams earlier this week after eight seasons with the team. He revealed in early February that the Rams had informed him they would try to trade him and that he wouldn’t be back with the club.

Kupp, who turns 32 in June, was a third-round pick by Los Angeles in 2017 and quickly became a standout. He produced the first of his two 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 when he caught 94 passes, the first of three straight 90-catch seasons.

Kupp had a season for the ages in 2021 when he won the NFL receiving triple crown with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He caught two TD passes in the Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals, was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and was a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection.

That postseason he totaled 33 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns in four games and was named MVP of Super Bowl LVI with eight receptions for 92 yards and the two TDs, including the winning 1-yard score with 1:25 left in the Rams’ 23-20 victory.

But Kupp has been plagued by injuries over the past three seasons and has only topped 800 yards once during the span. This season, he injured an ankle in Week 2 and was limited to 12 games, producing 67 receptions for 710 yards and six touchdowns.

Overall, he has 634 catches for 7,776 yards and 57 touchdowns in 104 regular-season games (89 starts).

Kupp’s excellence at Eastern Washington is legendary and he still owns FCS career records of 428 receptions, 6,464 yards and 73 touchdown receptions from 2013-16.