Blockbuster trade proposal predicts Cooper Kupp join NFC Super Bowl contenders in 2025

Cooper Kupp has had something of a down 2024, particularly toward the end of the season. This has some thinking the Rams might be looking to move on from him.

Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders have been one of the stories of the 2024 NFL season. Armed with a new head coach in former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels, the team wasn't expected to make any noise in the stacked NFC.

However, they not only finished with an incredible 12-5 record, they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in the playoffs, ending the franchise's 19-year wait for a postseason win. The Commanders are scheduled to travel to Ford Field this weekend to face the Detroit Lions in the divisional round.

Regardless of how deep they venture in the playoffs, the Commanders have become a prime landing spot. They can also compete for the signature of any top free agent as they have $89 million in cap space, the third-most behind the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders, who, unlike Washington, need a complete roster overhaul.

While they can handpick and land any free agent, they are being touted to land Los Angeles Rams superstar Cooper Kupp via a trade. Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton believes the team could trade their third- and seventh-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft to land the veteran.

While Terry McLaurin stretches the defense, the 31-year-old could work in the middle of the field and be the perfect WR2 for Daniels. The QB has done extremely well with limited resources but will need more weapons to thrive in his sophomore season.

Houston Texans star C.J. Stroud's underwhelming 2024 after a stellar rookie year is the perfect example of how the abundance of game film and the front office's failure to upgrade the receiving unit can affect a young quarterback. The Commanders will try to ensure that Daniels doesn't meet the same fate and that could mean landing Cooper Kupp.

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Cooper Kupp contract: Can the Rams afford to keep the WR?

Cooper Kupp has two years left on the three-year, $80 million contract extension he signed with the Rams. LA has $46 million in cap this summer, which they'll likely use to re-sign some of their key stars who are set to hit free agency.

While they can afford to keep Kupp this summer, they have 14 players on the roster whose rookie deals will expire over the next two summers. Players like Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, and Quentin Lake, among others, are due extensions.

To ensure they can retain their core, the team could consider trading Kupp and adding $20 million to its cap space. The 31-year-old has lost a step and is no longer the unstoppable force that won the triple crown and Super Bowl MVP. He has also missed 18 games over the past three seasons, a sign of dwindling durability.

Trading Cooper Kupp for multiple picks to a team like the Commanders, who have ample cap space, can compete for a Super Bowl, and need a veteran receiver, could be a win-win scenario for both parties. Kupp is a Rams icon and will be remembered as one of the greatest players in franchise history. However, regardless of what happens in the postseason, the timing might be right for the franchise to move on from him.