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Brady Henderson
RENTON, Wash. — When the Seattle Seahawks play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, it will mark Cooper Kupp’s first time facing his old team since the veteran receiver was released in March after eight seasons. Kupp has been open about how he disagreed with the Rams’ decision to move on from him, and about how difficult that experience was on him and his family.
As tempting as it might be to call this a revenge game, nothing Kupp said Wednesday — or at his introductory news conference in March — suggests he’s approaching it as such.
«It’s another football game,» he said. «You get out there, play your game. I love these guys. I love so many of the guys over there. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to go play a football game. So that’s going to be what it is. Try to treat this the same as any other game. Go out there and be able to lock in and do your job one play after the next, take that play-by-play mindset. Same as usual.»
The Seahawks and Rams are tied atop the NFC West at 7-2, so sole possession of first place in the division will be on the line when they square off for the first time this season.
«You can’t make this game about yourself,» Kupp said. «It just doesn’t work that way. It’s just too much of a team game. There’s too many guys on the field doing too many things, working at such a high level. It’s just about controlling what you can control, being a positive part of whatever’s called and executing at a high level and coming back and doing it over and over again. It would just be a shame to say I want this game more than any other game. That’s doing a disservice to the guys that sit in this room with me, that I would hold back anything from them [for] my own ambitions or wants.»
Tyler Lockett’s release and the trade of DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh. As their No. 2 receiver behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kupp has 26 catches on 35 attempts for 367 yards and a touchdown in eight games. He missed Seattle’s win over the Washington Commanders in Week 9 with a hamstring injury, then returned last week against the Arizona Cardinals, catching two passes for 74 yards as the Seahawks won their fourth straight game.
«I’m glad that I was able to be a part of it last week, but feeling good,» he said. «Excited to go this week.»
After signing with the Seahawks, Kupp said in March that he hadn’t gotten much clarity on why the Rams moved on. He got that clarity over the summer, and from the sounds of it, he got closure as well.
«I was able to have some conversations in private with people in the organization to try to get to that point,» he said. «It was important. I was important enough for me to reach out and try to get that. I’m glad to be in that place. I’m looking forward to being able to see some people pregame, give them a hug, and then when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.»
ESPN’s Sarah Barshop contributed to this report.
