Rams Players Had Touching Final Gesture for Cooper Kupp Before He Left for Seahawks

Kupp signed with the Seahawks after the Rams released him.

Former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Though the Los Angeles Rams decided to part ways with wide receiver Cooper Kupp this offseason, his departure has been bittersweet for several of his teammates. Kupp spent the first eight years of his career with the Rams. Not only was he a longtime cornerstone of the franchise, but a reliable teammate and leader for other Rams players - a teammate they did not want to see go. Even Kupp himself wanted to remain with the organization.

The Rams ultimately chose to release Kupp, and he went on to sign a three-year, $45 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Before Kupp's departure to the Seahawks, multiple Rams players got together to say goodbye and hold one last workout with Kupp, including Puka Nacua, Matthew Stafford, Jordan Whittington, and former offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.

In the video of the workout posted by 'The Village - Athlete Training Ground,' Nacua spoke about the example Kupp has provided for him and his career over his first two NFL seasons.

"It doesn't necessarily feel real," Nacua said. "It's been an absolute blessing in my life to be able to watch him work, to be able to be by his side and to be able to work with him and compete with him. To hear all the advice that he's given, the cues that he has in the game of the football, and the understanding he has of how to be a leader in the locker room, how to be a professional, how to be a father, how to be a great teammate, and how to be one of the best players in the National Football League, it's been the perfect combination of everything. I know this won't be the end of our relationship, but we'll continue to grow and it'll be exciting to see him do his thing out there."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Village - Athlete Training Grounds (@thevillage.atg)

Stafford also recently expressed what Kupp has meant to him since he was traded to the Rams in 2021. "He's meant a ton to me as a player, but even more probably as a person," Stafford said during an appearance on the New Heights podcast in March. "... He's a fantastic player, he means a ton to our team, but just as a human being, as a person, he's as good as it gets."

---

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

•

Former LSU Wide Receiver, NFL Draft Prospect Kyren Lacy Dies at Age 24

•

Dak Prescott Has Hilariously Honest Line About Signing Extensions With the Cowboys

•

Micah Parsons Blasts College Football After Nico Iamaleava's Holdout From Tennessee

•

Shedeur Sanders Responds to Criticism Over Patting the Football

•

Dak Prescott Provides Injury Update Ahead of Cowboys Offseason Program