Former EWU WR Cooper Kupp reaches 3-year extension with LA Rams

Associated Press

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Receiver Cooper Kupp agreed Saturday to a three-year contract extension through 2023 with the Los Angeles Rams.

Neither the team nor Kupp’s management immediately disclosed the financial terms of the deal, but according to the NFL’s official Twitter account, the extension could be worth up to $48 million. The sides reached agreement a day before the Rams’ season opener against the Dallas Cowboys in new SoFi Stadium.

Kupp, the former Eastern Washington standout, has been a steady, productive receiver since the Rams chose him in the third round of the 2017 draft. He was Los Angeles’ top pass-catcher last season, leading the team with 94 receptions for 1,161 yards and 10 touchdowns.

A precise route-runner with a knack for big, rambling gains after key catches, Kupp was an immediate success as a rookie. He had 69 catches for 869 yards on coach Sean McVay’s first team in Los Angeles, followed by eight catches in his NFL playoff debut.

Kupp missed the second half of the 2018 season with a torn ligament in his knee, preventing him from playing in the Rams’ postseason run to the Super Bowl.

He rebounded with an outstanding season in 2019 alongside fellow starter Robert Woods, and the Rams made clear their intention to lock up Kupp in an extension.

Kupp is making $2.37 million this season. He has caught 196 passes for 2,596 yards and 21 touchdowns in 39 career games, including 28 starts for the Rams.

McVay expressed optimism earlier this week that the Rams would get a deal done with Kupp before the regular season began. Kupp echoed those sentiments, saying he would “love to be a Ram long-term. I love it here.”

During his four-year career at Eastern, Kupp caught 428 passes for 6,464 yards, both FCS records. He also had 73 touchdown receptions, also an FCS record.