Well Steelers Nation, are you ready for another rollercoaster of trade rumors yet again? New reporting from Dianna Russini has claimed that the LA Rams are openly discussing with teams about a potential Cooper Kupp trade. The star receiver has missed multiple weeks this season due to injury, but he seems primed to return at any moment. A trade could develop quickly before the deadline.
With the crazy number of top-end receivers who have been made available during this football calendar already, it is not a secret the Steelers will at least inquire about Kupp. He is the type of receiver the black and gold have been trying to acquire in a trade. Speculation arose this past week that Mike Williams of the Jets might be their top trade option, but they should try for a bigger weapon.
Williams has soured on the Jets since Davante Adams was reunited with Aaron Rodgers in New York. The Jets could hold onto Williams, but even if Pittsburgh were to get Williams, most fans were hoping for someone better.
Now that Kupp has emerged in trade rumors, the hope for a star receiver to play next to George Pickens has come back to the spotlight in the Steel City.
Cooper Kupp is the star receiver the Steelers are trying to trade for
Does Kupp even fit into the Steeler's plans both now and into the future? The short answer is kind of, but Pittsburgh could make things easier on this prospective marriage. Kupp is a dynamic route runner and someone who has compiled some of the best seasons the NFL has ever seen by a receiver. He should be able to translate well into Pittsburgh's offense. Bonus, he is a quality teammate too.
When it comes to his contract, there could be some hiccups along the way. He is under contract through the 2026 season. That might be a little concerning since Pickens will be due an extension between now and the end of the 2025 calendar. Adding Kupp could create some concern about fitting both talented receivers under the cap. That could always be a future problem to worry about.
The Rams have called multiple teams about trading former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp sources tell @mikesilver, @jourdanrodrigue, and me.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 22, 2024
The Rams have indicated a willingness to take on some of the ‘24 salary and are seeking a 2nd round pick.
According to Russini, the Rams are willing to retain his salary if it helps jump the trade value for Kupp. That is something the Steelers and Rams have done in the past with the Allen Robinson II deal. Both teams have a strong trade history over the past couple of years. They also congregated a trade revolving around Kevin Dotson. Omar Khan and the Rams are familiar trade partners who get things across the finish line.
When you break this down, Kupp might be the last star receiver out there for the black and gold. Williams is a solid receiver who would be an upgrade for Pittsburgh, but they could do much better by adding Kupp.
This might create some cap hurdles in future years if they can't get LA to budge in negotiations. Acquiring Kupp would make Khan's past trade failures fall by the wayside.