Jaxon Smith-Njigba drops 1-word reaction as Cooper Kupp signs $45,000,000 deal with Seahawks 

Cooper Kupp is returning to the state where he was born, raised, and educated for the next chapter of his NFL career. And one of his new teammates is already showing his excitement.

On Friday, the Seattle Seahawks were reported to have signed their former division rival to a three-year, $45-million contract. The Super Bowl LVI MVP had been born and raised in Yakima, Washington before attending Eastern Washington in Cheney.

His fellow wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba reacted to the news with a long message:

"Cooooooooooooppppp."

Kupp who is projected to fill the Y/slot position formerly occupied by Tyler Lockett, had this reaction to becoming a Seahawk:

Before the signing was announced, he had shown great interest in joining the Denver Broncos, who were looking for another deep threat to add for Bo Nix beside Courtland Sutton. ESPN's Adam Schefter had told Altitude Sports:

"I think if Cooper Kupp had his way, I think he would like to be in Denver. I think that'd be one of the places that would appeal to him. That I would say -- I feel comfortable in saying that."

However, he was unsure if they would meet his asking price:

"I'm sure he's going to talk to Denver -- I'm sure Denver's gonna to talk to him. Are they going to be able to get a deal done? Let's see how far Denver's willing to go -- I don't know the answer to that."

Ultimately, the organization was unwilling to match or exceed it, as reported by KUSA-TV's Mike Klis and DNVR Sports' Zac Stevens.

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Insider hints as to why Cooper Kupp chose Seahawks

In related news, Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz posited that besides the homecoming angle, Cooper Kupp relished being a potential focal point of the new offensive scheme with Sam Darnold:

One person who agrees is Clutch Points' Matty Breisch, who writes:

"On paper, the Seahawks really do make sense as a Kupp landing spot... While (he) hasn't been an elite player in a few years and really only had that one season where he looked like a certified world-beater, he is still a smart, savvy veteran who knows how to get open against every coverage and make a quarterback's life easier."

In 12 games (11 starts) in 2024, Kupp caught 67 passes for 710 yards and six touchdowns. In the playoffs, he had six for 90.