Just before the start of the 2020 season, the Los Angeles Rams gave Cooper Kupp a three-year extension worth $47.25 million. It was a well-deserved extension for Kupp, who still had one year left on his contract, getting a nice raise to $15.75 million per year.
After seeing all the contracts being signed by receivers this offseason, Kupp looks like a massive bargain for the Rams at that salary. Davante Adams is getting $28 million per year from the Raiders, Christian Kirk got $18 million per year from the Jaguars and Mike Evans’ new deal with the Chargers pays him $20 million per year. Tyreek Hill got a major bump in pay, too, after being traded to the Dolphins, landing a four-year deal worth $120 million.
Based on annual salary, Kupp ranks 16th in the NFL among all receivers. He’s just barely the highest-paid receiver on his own team, making $250,000 more than newcomer Allen Robinson. Robert Woods was the top-paid receiver on the Rams before he was traded to the Titans, making $16.25 million per year.
Kupp most likely isn’t going to hold out for a raise and the Rams haven’t made any mention of giving him an extension like Matthew Stafford or Aaron Donald, but he has a strong case to be making more money than he is right now.
He’s coming off a season in which he led the NFL in receptions (145), yards (1,947) and touchdown catches (16), winning the receiving triple crown. Including the playoffs, it was truly one of the best seasons ever by a wide receiver: 178 catches, 2,425 yards and 22 touchdowns. Kupp won Offensive Player of the Year after posting at least seven catches and 90 yards in 15 of his 17 regular-season games. He had just two games with fewer than 90 yards, including the postseason, and scored in 14 of the 20 games he played.
No receiver in the NFL came close to matching his overall production last season and heading into 2022, he looks poised to remain the best wideout in football. The Rams didn’t know Kupp would erupt with such a special season when they gave him an extension in 2020, but now that he’s proved to be a top receiver, they should consider paying him like one.
