When it comes to his approach to the game and his never-ending work ethic, Cooper Kupp remains unchanged.
Just ask Puka Nacua, who recently broke the story of charging onto Kupp’s lawn to try to keep up with the old-fashioned wide receiver.
However, Kupp’s health and production have waned since a historic campaign in 2021. Nevertheless, the 30-year-old fully believes he can return to the form of the wide receiver who turned in one of the best seasons in history not too long ago.
“I don’t know if I’d still be playing if I didn’t think this was still who I was,” Kupp said earlier this week, via the team’s Stu Jackson website. “That’s who I think I am. I trust myself to get there for my teammates, that’s the player they trust to be there on Sundays, and I believe the work I do, the way I prepare, all those ingredients will be there to be the most productive player that I know I am.”
In 2021, Kupp and then-newcomer Matthew Stafford gave the Rams a winning formula from the start. En route to the Super Bowl victory, the Rams were bolstered by Kupp claiming the wide receiving triple crown — leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16).
After reaching the pinnacle of Super Bowl glory, however, Kupp stumbled due to injuries. In the two seasons that followed, he has failed to eclipse his dazzling 2021 stats in 2022 and 2023 combined (134 receptions, 1,549 yards and 11 TDs in 21 games).
The culprits have mostly been ankle and back injuries that have been lingering for a long time. There has also been the rise of the aforementioned Nacua, who made statistical history in his rookie campaign last season.
There is optimism that Kupp’s resurgence combined with Nacua’s continued rise could lead to perhaps the league’s most formidable receiving duo. It’s still April though.
Now, Kupp is putting in the work, staying healthy and focusing on efficiency in his training rather than overdoing it after a rough 2023 campaign where he showed Kupp of old, but lacked consistency in his production.
“Efficiency is big for me,” Kupp said. “The more efficient you can play, the more you save yourself. Don’t do more than you need to, so you can do more when you need to. That’s kind of the mantra I live by.”
Kupp turns 31 on June 15, but he aims to turn back the clock to when he was 28, lead the NFL in every major receiving category and propel the Rams to a Lombardi Trophy.
“I’m looking forward to going there this year,” he said, “and playing some good football.”