Cooper Kupp was a productive receiver before the 2021 season, but he took his game to another level after Matthew Stafford arrived. He put together one of the best seasons ever by a wide receiver, leading the league with 145 catches, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Stafford was a big part of that leap in stats, but the two worked extremely hard together to build chemistry and get better together. Aaron Donald was even stunned by how early they arrived at the Rams’ facility to watch film every day.
Donald said on the “I Am Athlete” podcast that he would get there around 6 a.m. and Kupp and Stafford would already be there watching film – and that motivated Donald to work even harder than he already was.
“He’s been that guy. This is his first year he really stayed healthy. If you watch film, he’s been doing the same type of stuff consistent,” Donald said of Kupp. “He came in as a rookie and was Mr. Consistent. You know if you throw the ball to him, we’re good. He’s gonna catch it, he’s gonna make it happen. It’s just he got the opportunity to play with a quarterback that they just vibed. I used to come in 6 something in the morning and them two already be there watching film together every single day. Every day. Before and after practice. They motivated me, like ‘I’m gonna start coming a little earlier to make sure.’ You know what I’m saying? That’s what it’s about. You talk about leadership, they led me in a way they don’t even know. That motivated me. I’m just saying, they got a chemistry that was just different and then he stayed healthy.”
Kupp will have a hard time matching the numbers he put up last season, which came close to totaling his stats from the two years prior combined. But with the chemistry that he and Stafford have, he should be in for another big season with 1,000-plus yards and double-digit touchdowns.
The Rams unquestionably have one of the best quarterback-receiver tandems in the NFL, and possibly the hardest-working, too. For Donald to be surprised by how much time two players are putting in, that tells you a lot.
