Cooper Kupp reportedly ‘curious’ about playing for Patriots
Cooper Kupp is on the verge of being released. If that happens, could he possibly call the Patriots his new home?
The Rams wide receiver was previously a trade candidate, but as it often goes in the NFL, other teams are willing to play a game of “Chicken” in the hopes of the player in question getting released. The Patriots aren’t the only team that would rather iron out their own deal than trade a draft pick and absorb someone else’s bad contract, so these guys often hit the open market.
Well, should Kupp reach that point around 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, when free agency officially begins, he may not exactly dismiss the Patriots as a possibility.
According to Andrew Callahan at the Boston Herald, Kupp is “curious about the prospect of playing in New England and has shared that curiosity with some close to him.” Kupp does have connections to the Patriots, including with new passing game coordinator/tight ends coach Thomas Brown, who was with the Rams from 2020-22 (it’s worth noting that Brown never directly coached wide receivers in L.A.).
Kupp was also college teammates with Pats receiver Kendrick Bourne (pictured above) at Eastern Washington, and they “remain friendly,” according to the Herald.
There’s one obvious obstacle between Kupp and a deal with the Patriots, and that’s the fact that the Pats don’t rank among the contending teams in the NFL. If Kupp’s priority is to go to a team with a chance to win the Super Bowl, then he’d be better off taking a chance on the Chiefs, Eagles, Bills, Ravens, Lions, or Commanders, to name a handful.
So, the Patriots would need to win Kupp over with money and with the familiarity of playing under Brown and having Bourne as his teammate. Not to mention, his toughness and competitiveness and leadership…ness fit what Mike Vrabel wants in building a new culture in New England, and he’d immediately become Drake Maye’s No. 1 receiving option.
All eyes will be on Kupp starting at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, when it comes to the wide receiver market across the NFL. The Pats would still be wise to invest in someone with the upside to be their clear first or second pass-catching option, either way.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
