Despite KOC connection, Cooper Kupp to Vikings is likely unrealistic

The Rams are looking to trade former triple crown winner Cooper Kupp, according to Kupp himself, who announced the news on social media on Monday evening. It was the day’s second major piece of news involving the potential movement of a big-name NFL player, following Myles Garrett requesting a trade from the Browns.

Like with Garrett, it’s fun for fans across the league to imagine adding Kupp to their team’s roster. But as far as the Vikings go, neither one really makes a lot of sense for reasons related to positional strength and salary cap finances.

There’s an obvious Kupp connection in Minnesota with Kevin O’Connell, who was his offensive coordinator when he had maybe the greatest wide receiver season ever in 2021 (178 catches, 2,425 yards, 22 touchdowns between regular season and playoffs). Wes Phillips and Chris O’Hara are other members of O’Connell’s coaching staff who were on Sean McVay’s Rams staff during that Super Bowl-winning season. They saw up close how absolutely incredible Kupp was at his peak.

Undoubtedly, KOC and others in Minnesota’s building are big fans of Kupp, and the idea of pairing him with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to create a ridiculous three-wide set is an alluring one. But it probably isn’t realistic or sensible.

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If you’re ranking the Vikings’ needs this offseason, wide receiver is pretty close to the bottom. Jefferson is under contract through 2028 and Addison has a fifth-year option that can be picked up for the 2027 season. Jalen Nailor, who caught six touchdown passes last season, has a year left on his rookie deal. Someone like Trent Sherfield can be brought back for cheap.

Would Kupp be an upgrade over Nailor? Almost certainly. But he also costs quite a bit more. Any team that trades for him will be paying $20 million in 2025 and just shy of $20 million in 2026, between his base salary and roster bonus. It’s hard to see the Vikings choosing to take that on, given that Jefferson’s $35 million per year extension kicks in next season (although it’s backloaded to the point that his cap hit is just $15.2 million) and Addison will be up for a new deal in the next few years.

It’ll be interesting to see if any team trades for Kupp on his current contract, and how much money the Rams might have to eat to actually get a decent draft pick out of the deal. We’re talking about a receiver who turns 32 years old in June and hasn’t exceeded 12 games played or 812 receiving yards since his historic 2021 campaign. Kupp is certainly still dangerous when healthy, but the injury concerns exist and he’s no longer a truly elite separator.

If Kupp ends up getting released by the Rams and wants to take a team-friendly deal to play with O’Connell and Jefferson, maybe it makes sense. But why would he do that? He’ll presumably want to go to a team where he can be a No. 2 receiver and maximize his earnings while he still has some juice left. Minnesota just doesn’t seem like a fit.

These are the same reasons why the Vikings trading for Garrett feels highly unlikely. Wide receiver and edge rusher are two of the clear-cut strengths of a roster that has plenty of other holes that need addressing. Garrett is different from Kupp in that he’s a monstrous player in the heart of his prime, but any team acquiring him will likely need to sign him to a massive extension, and that feels like a questionable use of the Vikings’ finances considering the construction of their roster.

The Vikings are going to acquire some high-profile players this offseason, but Garrett and Kupp almost certainly won’t be among them.