Cooper Kupp

Cooper Douglas Kupp Bio

Cooper Douglas Kupp (born June 15, 1993) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Eastern Washington Eagles, where he established himself as one of the most prolific receivers in Football Championship Subdivision history. Kupp won the Walter Payton Award as the top player in the FCS in 2015 and set numerous receiving records at the collegiate level. The Los Angeles Rams selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he developed into one of the league’s elite pass catchers. Kupp had a historic 2021 season, becoming the fourth player since the AFL-NFL merger to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in the same year. He earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors and was named MVP of Super Bowl LVI, joining Jerry Rice as the only wide receivers to win both awards in their careers. After eight seasons with the Rams, Kupp joined the Seahawks in 2025 and won his second Super Bowl championship that same year.

Early Life and Background

Cooper Douglas Kupp was born on June 15, 1993, in Yakima, Washington. He comes from a distinguished football family, as the grandson of Jake Kupp, an NFL offensive lineman who played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints from 1964 to 1975. His father, Craig Kupp, was an NFL quarterback selected by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 1990 NFL Draft, playing for the Phoenix Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys in 1991. The Kupp family is one of only five families in NFL history to have three generations selected in the NFL Draft.

Kupp attended Davis High School in Yakima, where he was a two-sport athlete competing in football and basketball. As a senior in 2011, he was named a two-way All-State selection, earning first-team 4A All-State honors as a defensive back and honorable mention accolades as a wide receiver. Kupp finished his senior football season with 60 receptions for 1,059 yards and 18 touchdowns, scoring 22 total touchdowns to set a school record. The Seattle Times recognized him as a “White Chip” selection, naming him among the top 100 prospects in Washington State.

Path to the NFL

Despite his outstanding high school career with 110 catches for 2,100 yards, Kupp received no college football scholarship offers upon graduation. Three weeks after his final high school game, Eastern Washington offered him a scholarship, followed shortly thereafter by an offer from Idaho State. Kupp chose to attend Eastern Washington University and redshirted his freshman season in 2012.

Kupp quickly established himself as a dominant receiver at the FCS level. In his redshirt freshman season of 2013, he set national freshman records for receiving yards (1,691), total touchdown catches (21), consecutive games with a touchdown catch (14), and receptions (93). His remarkable performance earned him the Jerry Rice Award, given annually to the top freshman player in the FCS. He became the first player from Eastern Washington and the Big Sky Conference to receive the award. Kupp was also named a consensus first-team All-American, becoming the first freshman wide receiver to achieve this honor since Randy Moss in 1996.

His success continued through his remaining college years, setting the foundation for his professional career and establishing Eastern Washington as a program capable of developing NFL-ready talent.

Cooper Kupp Career

Rookie Season (2017)

The Los Angeles Rams selected Kupp in the third round with the 69th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract worth $3.83 million and immediately made his presence felt during the season-opening 46-9 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, recording four receptions for 76 yards and his first NFL touchdown on an 18-yard pass from Jared Goff. Kupp developed quickly as a favorite target in the red zone and on third downs. His first career 100-yard game came in Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints, where he finished with 116 receiving yards. He ended his rookie season with 62 receptions for 869 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games, earning a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team.

Los Angeles Rams Era (2017-2024)

Kupp entered 2018 as a starting wide receiver alongside Robert Woods and newly acquired Brandin Cooks. During a Week 4 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, he posted a career-high nine receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard scoring reception. However, his season was derailed by injuries, including a torn ACL in Week 10 that ended his year prematurely. Without Kupp, the Rams reached Super Bowl LIII but lost to the New England Patriots. He bounced back in 2019 with 94 receptions for 1,161 yards and 10 touchdowns, forming a 1,000-yard receiving duo with Robert Woods.

The 2021 season became one of the greatest receiving performances in NFL history. With the addition of quarterback Matthew Stafford, Kupp posted franchise records with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He achieved the NFL receiving triple crown, leading the league in all three major receiving categories, and earned First-team All-Pro and NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. In the postseason, his 33 receptions over four games set an NFL record for a single postseason. In Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, Kupp caught the game-winning touchdown and converted a critical fourth-and-1 play, earning Super Bowl MVP honors. He signed a three-year extension worth $80.1 million in June 2022.

Injuries plagued Kupp during the final years of his Rams tenure. He missed significant time in 2022 due to a high ankle sprain requiring surgery and played only nine games. Hamstring and ankle injuries limited his availability in 2023 and 2024, though he continued to produce when on the field, moving into third place on the Rams’ all-time receptions list. On February 3, 2025, the Rams informed Kupp they were moving in a different direction, and he was released on March 12 after no trade partner emerged.

Seattle Seahawks Era (2025-Present)

On March 14, 2025, Kupp signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. He quickly became a key contributor in the offense, playing in 16 games with 15 starts during the regular season. He recorded 47 receptions for 593 yards and two touchdowns, with his best performance coming in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers with seven catches for 90 yards. Kupp caught at least one pass in every game as Seattle captured the NFC West title for the first time since 2020.

In the playoffs, Kupp played a crucial role in Seattle’s championship run. He led the team with five receptions for 60 yards in the Divisional Round victory over the San Francisco 49ers. In the NFC Championship against his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, he caught four passes for 36 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown that provided the winning margin in the 31-27 victory. Kupp won his second Super Bowl championship when the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX, finishing with six receptions for 61 yards in the game.

Driving Style and Strengths

Kupp has established himself as one of the most precise and reliable route runners in the NFL. His exceptional footwork and ability to create separation at all levels of the defense make him a versatile weapon in any offensive scheme. He excels at finding soft spots in zone coverage and possesses reliable hands that allow him to make contested catches in heavy traffic. His football intelligence enables him to quickly diagnose defensive coverages and adjust his routes accordingly, making him an ideal target for quarterbacks in high-pressure situations. Kupp’s quickness after the catch and his ability to turn short passes into significant gains add another dimension to his offensive value.

Notable Events and Milestones

Kupp’s career has been defined by several historic milestones. His 2021 triple crown season placed him among the all-time great receiving performances in league history, with his 1,947 yards ranking second only to Calvin Johnson’s 1,964 in 2012. His Super Bowl LVI MVP award made him only the second wide receiver in NFL history, after Jerry Rice, to win both that award and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year distinction. His 33 postseason receptions in 2021 set an NFL record for a single postseason. With the Seahawks in 2025, he reached another championship milestone, becoming one of the few players to win Super Bowls with two different teams.

Cooper Kupp Career Wins

Throughout his NFL career, Kupp has established himself as one of the most productive receivers in league history. His accomplishments span multiple seasons and include both individual accolades and team championships. He has accumulated over 8,000 career receiving yards and ranks among the all-time leaders in receptions through his first nine professional seasons.

NFL Highlights

Kupp’s NFL career statistics include 681 receptions for 8,369 yards and 59 touchdowns through the 2025 season. His most prolific season came in 2021 when he set the Los Angeles Rams’ single-season records for receptions (145) and receiving yards (1,947) while scoring 16 touchdowns. He led the NFL in all three major receiving categories that year, joining an exclusive group of players to achieve the receiving triple crown. His playoff performance in 2021 saw him set an NFL record with 33 receptions over four postseason games, contributing 478 receiving yards and six touchdowns as the Rams captured Super Bowl LVI. In 2025 with the Seahawks, he added another championship ring with a Super Bowl LX victory, catching six passes for 61 yards in the win over the Patriots.

College Achievements

At Eastern Washington, Kupp set numerous FCS receiving records during his four-year career. He finished with 428 career receptions and 6,464 receiving yards, both FCS records at the time of his graduation, surpassing marks previously held by Terrell Hudgins. His 73 career receiving touchdowns also rank first in FCS history. He won the Walter Payton Award as the FCS’s top player in 2015 and the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in 2013. Kupp was a four-time first-team FCS All-American and a two-time Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016.

Cooper Kupp Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Cooper Kupp comes from a distinguished football family with deep roots in professional football. His grandfather, Jake Kupp, was an offensive lineman who played 12 seasons in the NFL with four different teams, earning All-Rookie honors in 1964 and later being named to the New Orleans Saints’ 25-year All-Time Team. Jake Kupp was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame in 1991. His father, Craig Kupp, followed as a quarterback at Pacific Lutheran University before being drafted by the New York Giants in 1990. This multigenerational football legacy makes the Kupp family one of only five in NFL history to have three generations selected in the NFL Draft.

Personal Life

Kupp married Anna Croskrey in June 2015. The couple met during their senior year of high school and have since built a family together, welcoming three sons. Kupp has described himself as a devout Christian. During his tenure with the Los Angeles Rams, he and his family lived in Westlake Village, California, during the football season and Wilsonville, Oregon, during the offseason. He developed a close friendship with former Rams quarterback Jared Goff, with whom he lived briefly after being drafted. The two would practice together, watch film, and study defensive schemes to accelerate Kupp’s development in the NFL.

2025 Season Performance

The 2025 season marked a new chapter in Cooper Kupp’s career as he transitioned to the Seattle Seahawks after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. Joining an offense led by quarterback Sam Darnold, Kupp provided veteran experience and reliability to a receiving corps looking to make an impact in the NFC West. He appeared in 16 games with 15 starts during the regular season, catching 47 passes for 593 yards and two touchdowns. His consistency was evident, as he recorded at least one reception in every game he played. His best performance came in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he caught seven passes for 90 yards in a 31-17 victory. His ability to find soft spots in zone coverage and make clutch catches in critical situations helped stabilize the Seahawks’ passing game throughout the season.

The Seahawks’ offense gelled as the season progressed, with Kupp developing chemistry with Darnold and fellow receivers Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe. As a pregame ritual, Kupp takes responsibility for finding Vietnamese restaurants to bring pho for his teammates the night before road games. The quarterbacks have developed a ranking system to evaluate his restaurant selections after reviewing the call sheet together. This tradition reflects the strong clubhouse culture Kupp helped foster and his role as a respected veteran leader in the locker room. Seattle finished the regular season with an improved record and captured the NFC West division title for the first time since 2020.

The postseason proved to be a memorable chapter in Kupp’s career. In the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers, he led the team with five receptions for 60 yards in a commanding 41-6 victory. The NFC Championship presented a dramatic reunion with his former team, the Los Angeles Rams. Kupp caught four passes for 36 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter that ultimately proved to be the game-winning score in Seattle’s 31-27 victory. This triumph over his former team provided a satisfying conclusion to a challenging chapter in his career. The season reached its pinnacle when the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX, giving Kupp his second championship ring in four years. He finished the Super Bowl with six receptions for 61 yards, capping off a remarkable first season with his new franchise.