The Los Angeles Rams handed star wideout Cooper Kupp a three-year, $80 million extension after his historic 2021 campaign in which the Rams won the Super Bowl while Kupp won Super Bowl MVP, but his following two NFL seasons have unfortunately been affected by injuries.
A high ankle sprain which required surgery cost Kupp eight games in 2022, and then a hamstring injury cost him the first four games of the 2023 season. Kupp's fellow wideout, Puka Nacua, told Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby on his podcast, "The Rush," that Kupp is motivated to return to form as one of the best receivers in the league.
"I've been training with Coop so it's been good. He's on a revenge tour. He's been able to get a healthy offseason and stuff so he's back at it," Nacua said, via Pro Football Talk.
Kupp's injury in 2023 opened the door for Nacua to put together a remarkable rookie campaign. The fifth-round pick out of BYU caught double-digit passes for 110+ yards in each of his first two NFL games, and finished his first NFL season with 1,486 yards on 105 receptions. Both figures ranked in the top 10.
With a healthy Kupp and Nacua, Matthew Stafford will have one of the best wide receiving duos in the league. Kupp may turn 31 this offseason, but he became just the fourth player in the Super Bowl era to capture the "triple crown" for wide receivers back in 2021, leading the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16).
