Four years ago, Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford celebrated together as they advanced to the Super Bowl and then defeated the Bengals to become champions for the first time.
On Sunday, Kupp advanced to the Super Bowl once again while sharing the field with Stafford—this time doing so with the opposing team, as he and the Seahawks defeated his former Rams squad 31-27 in the NFC championship game.
After the game, Stafford made sure to find Kupp on the field to congratulate him on returning to the Super Bowl. Kupp later said of their exchange to Sports Central LA: “Matthew’s the man. Ultimate competitor, one of the best to ever play the position. I love the guy, and every time he has the ball, it’s freaking terrifying.”
Stafford and Kupp forever ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aT2ektMYD8
— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
Kupp also met up with Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, to whom he was a mentor in Nacua's first two seasons in the NFL.
Cooper Kupp is going back to the Super Bowl after a battle against the Rams. pic.twitter.com/m1lIQXYxpd
— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
A year ago, Kupp announced on social media that the Rams were seeking to trade him despite his wanting to remain with Los Angeles. The Rams ended up releasing him, and he signed with the Seahawks in a return to his home state.
Now, Kupp has gotten the best revenge as he defeated his former team with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
“It was unbelievable,” Kupp told Sports Central LA. “This storyline, it couldn't have been written any better. Been a lot of times my wife and I have been struggling through [with] why things happened, why things played out the way they did. We were asking ‘why’ a lot. We found a peace in being able to ask ourselves what it was that God had for us. ... Just for it to play out like this, whether this was going to happen or not, the peace we have being here with these people, these guys, these coaches, it’s just been an unbelievable experience.”
"This storyline, it couldn't have been written any better!"@DarrenMHaynes caught up with former Rams WR Cooper Kupp after defeating his former team and helping send the Seahawks to the Super Bowl.@CBSLosAngeles | #LARvsSEA pic.twitter.com/tpMqGgz4R6
— Sports Central LA (@SportsCentralLA) January 26, 2026
The win was made even sweeter by Kupp scoring a 13-yard touchdown against the Rams. He finished the game with four catches for 36 yards, the touchdown, and, most importantly, as an NFC champion once again.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cooper Kupp Shared Sweetest Moment With Matthew Stafford After Seahawks’ Win.
