Kupp, who turns 33 on June 15, took over the hometown Seahawks last year after being fired by the Los Angeles Rams, with whom he won the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year en route to a Super Bowl LVI victory.
The Seahawks — nor Kupp at this stage of his career — entered last season with high outside expectations of any kind of similar finish to the Rams. Winning the Lombardi Trophy is exactly what Seattle went on to do, but this time Kupp played a supporting role to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who also achieved the OPOTY-Super Bowl combination.
Kupp contributed, finishing third on the team in receptions (47) and second in receiving yards (593) with two scores. He produced his third and fourth contests of the campaign with 60 or more yards in the playoffs. Against his former team in the NFC title game, Kupp caught a TD and held a narrow lead with three-plus minutes left, making a crucial first down on third-and-7 to avoid giving the ball back to Los Angeles.
Seattle didn’t score until 31 seconds remained and then went on to Super Bowl LX, where Kupp had a team-high six catches and 61 yards on 12 carries.
Of course, those contributions mean little to the task ahead for Kupp and the 2026 Seahawks. They can now operate on the basis of knowing what it takes, but no power or play from last season will lead directly to victory this time around. It took Kupp four years to reach another Super Bowl after his first, and there is little chance that he still has that many hits in a third.
Not content to ride off into the sunset, Kupp instead plans to take advantage of his next opportunity as a new season in Seattle dawns.
“There are moments of reflection, right?” Kupp said when asked what goes through his mind when he sees the Seahawks’ championship banner in the facility. “There are moments of understanding when you see these banners, there is history and a lot of blood, sweat and tears behind each of them. So, there is a respect for what went into those things and what they stand for, and the journey that they represent, the difficulties that were overcome. But also, at the end of this moment of reflection, there is the season at the end that now says, “Wel?” Yes, that’s what it took. This is what it was and now you’re in it and you continue, and it’s an opportunity to go and be part of something else.”