The Los Angeles Rams will release receiver Cooper Kupp when the new league year officially starts, and Matthew Stafford recently expressed his sadness about losing his good friend.
Stafford went on the “New Heights” podcast and had a heartfelt message for Kupp as the quarterback prepares for life without his favorite receiver.
Matthew Stafford Understands the Business, But Will Miss Cooper Kupp
Stafford was traded to the Rams after spending the first 12 years of his career with the Detroit Lions. He immediately took off in head coach Sean McVay’s offense, throwing for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl 56 win.
A prominent piece in that 2021 team was Kupp, who won the receiving Triple Crown with 145 catches, 1,947 yards, and 16 touchdowns. Kupp was on fire that season, winning Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP. However, three straight injury-shortened seasons, declining production, and the arrival of Puka Nacua left Kupp as the odd man out of the Rams’ 2025 plans.
Stafford recently appeared on the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast and discussed his feelings about the decision to release Kupp and what the receiver has meant to him since arriving in Los Angeles.
“He’s meant a ton to me as a player, but even more probably as a person”
Matthew Stafford reflected on his time with Cooper Kupp in today’s show pic.twitter.com/7kOVeLcgI3
— New Heights (@newheightshow) March 12, 2025
Stafford began his heartfelt response, “I ran into him right when they told him the news that they were talking about trading him, and obviously, that one is tough. You’re around this game long enough; those things happen, and it’s tough. Especially for a guy that’s meant so much to me in my career and how he helped me kind of get in with the Rams.”
“So it’s tough. I’ve spent probably more time with him as a teammate than really any other teammate you know in my career, and that just kind of happened organically,” Stafford said,” I would go in there early, and sure enough, Cooper would be in there, or he’d walk in as I’m walking in.”
“We started watching tape together, and then it just turned into a thing that we did every day. So I’ve spent a ton of time with him. He’s meant a ton to me as a player, but even more, probably as a person.”
“You talk to guys around the team that have been with him for extended periods of time, and he’s a fantastic player. He means a ton to our team, but just as a human being, as a person, he’s as good as it gets.”
Kupp’s production has fallen since winning the Triple Crown, with injuries playing a key factor. He hasn’t played more than 12 games in a season over the last three years, and his EPA/target has dropped considerably.
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- 2021: 0.57
- 2022: 0.20
- 2023: 0.12
- 2024: 0.05
Stafford continued, “Whether he’s with us, which I love Cooper, and would love the opportunity to continue to play with him, or if he’s somewhere else. I mean whoever gets him…he’s a fantastic person for the locker room, for the team, and shoot, you know when he’s healthy, he still ballin’.”
After ranking second among qualified receivers in EPA per target from 2021-22, Kupp ranked 45th of 51 over the past two years. His red-zone usage fell off a cliff last season, creating concerns about his ability to get open in high-leverage spots as he ages.
His resume remains strong, and he can still be productive in a more complementary role, but Stafford and the Rams will have to make do without Kupp going forward.