Cooper Kupp’s 6 best NFL landing spots in free agency, ranked by his best fits

The NFL’s legal tampering period is drawing to a close, and later today the league year officially begins. At 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time the 2025 NFL season arrives, meaning all the deals that were agreed to over the past three days become official.

That also means we might see more players released, such as Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp.

Kupp’s name has been in the news for months, starting with the buildup to the 2024 NFL trade deadline when it looked like the Rams might move the receiver. With Davante Adams signing with Los Angeles in free agency, it looks as if Kupp will hit the open market in short order.

Kupp has dealt with injuries in recent years, as he has missed 18 games since the Rams’ run to Super Bowl LVI, where he caught the game-winning touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals and was named MVP. Los Angeles informed Kupp that they were seeking a trade for him, but in recent days reporting indicates that rather than trade him, the team might simply release him when the league year begins.

Here are some teams that should pick up the phone.

The Las Vegas Raiders made one of the bigger moves already this offseason, acquiring Geno Smith in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

That move is an indication that Pete Carroll is not going to wait through a lengthy rebuild, and wants to win now. Given that, the Raiders need to make some additions around Smith to help that offense flourish in 2025. The Raiders could certainly address WR with the sixth pick in the NFL Draft — or draft the quarterback of the future if someone they love is available — or even look at improving the running game with Ashton Jeanty.

Adding Kupp now would give them not just a solid weapon in the passing game, but allow them even more flexibility with that pick in the first round.

Heading into free agency many believed the Patriots would make a strong push for Chris Godwin, arguably the best available WR this offseason. While New England reportedly did make that push, Godwin left money on the table to return to Tampa Bay.

New England did add at the receiver position, bringing in Mack Hollins, but upgrades are still needed around Drake Maye. The Patriots still have the most cap space available according to Over the Cap, and bringing in Kupp would give Maye a reliable weapon in the passing game.

Whether Kupp would head to New England, or look to land with a more established contender at this point in his career, remains to be seen.

The Cowboys have a star in CeeDee Lamb, but adding pieces around him would be a smart move for Jerry Jones.

Kupp could be a perfect fit in the Dallas offense. He can serve as the underneath, horizontal element in the passing game while Lamb and Jalen Tolbert operate as the more vertical threats in the downfield passing game. Give Dak Prescott Kupp and suddenly the Cowboys’ passing game has a little more juice than it did heading into the offseason.

Similar to the New England Patriots, the Denver Broncos have a rookie quarterback who showed he can lead the team last year in Bo Nix.

However, while the Patriots are looking to get back to the playoffs, the Broncos are coming off an appearance in the postseason and are now looking to go beyond a loss on Wild Card Weekend.

Denver certainly has options for Nix in the passing game, and the Broncos added WR Trent Sherfield already in free agency. But Kupp would give Nix a security blanket underneath and over the middle, and is an ideal fit for what Sean Payton wants to dial up in the passing game. While durability may be a concern with Kupp given his recent injury history, with players like Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and Devaughn Vele already in place the Broncos can manage Kupp’s snaps, keeping him fresh and hopefully healthy for the entire season.

Kupp might not need to move far.

With Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey, the Chargers have a pair of early-round picks to rely on in the passing game.

But with the loss of Josh Palmer to the Buffalo Bills, the team could look to bring in another option for Justin Herbert. There may be some overlap in skill sets between McConkey and Kupp, but giving Herbert a reliable veteran target, and adding Kupp’s experience to this roster and WR room, all seem like wise moves for the Chargers.

The Seattle Seahawks have a new quarterback.

Now they just need players for Sam Darnold to throw to in the passing game.

WIth Tyler Lockett being released by the team, and DK Metcalf now on his way to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Seahawks have to big spots to fill in their wide receiver room. Under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak Seattle may rely less on three-WR personnel packages, but a duo of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kupp in the passing game is a solid pairing. Add in the fact that Seattle passing game coordinator Jake Peetz is a former Rams assistant coach — making this a reunion of sorts — and you have the favorites in the Kupp chase.