Rams WR Cooper Kupp Wins Offensive Player of the Year

Cooper Kupp has been named Offensive Player of the Year for the 2021 season.
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Cooper Kupp put together one of the best single-seasons by a wide receiver in NFL history, and his efforts have gone on to be recognized as the Offensive Player of the Year for the 2021 campaign.

Kupp is the third member of the Rams to receive the honor, joining Eric Dickerson (1986), Marshall Faulk (1999, 2000, 2001) and Todd Gurley (2015) as the franchise’s others. Additionally, Kupp becomes just the third receiver to win the award with Jerry Rice (1987, 1993) and Michael Thomas being the only other pass-catchers (2019).

Kupp secured the receiving triple crown, leading all pass-catchers in receptions (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16). He became just the fourth player in NFL history since 1970 to lead the league in the top three receiving statistical categories.

Kupp joins Jerry Rice (1990), Sterling Sharpe (1992) and Steve Smith (2005) as the only other receivers to accomplish the receiving triple crown.

He also came close to setting the new receiving yards record but fell just shy of 18 yards from breaking Calvin Johnson's 2012 season of 1,964 yards.

Kupp did, however, post the second-most yards in a single season, surpassing Julio Jones' 2015 season of 1,871 yards. Kupp also became the first player to record over 2,000 receiving yards when factoring in his playoff stats.

Kupp also broke the Rams' single-season reception and receiving yards record previously set by Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce in 1995.

Granted, the NFL expanded the regular season by one extra game, Kupp put himself in rare territory, nonetheless. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his five-year career and earned a unanimous First-Team All-Pro selection.

The chemistry that Matthew Stafford and Kupp have developed in just their first full season together, exemplifies just how explosive the Rams offense can be. Plus, factoring in a healthy Robert Woods and a full season of Cam Akers, the Rams are just touching the surface of what’s ahead for their offensive unit. 


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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.


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Nicholas Cothrel
NICHOLAS COTHREL

Nick Cothrel covers the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated.