Cooper Kupp may have been the most productive receiver in the NFL last season, but he says he isn’t looking to be the highest paid.
The Super Bowl MVP is in the midst of contract extension negotiations with the Los Angeles Rams at a time in which the receiver market has exploded.
Davante Adams set a new high with a contract averaging $28.5 million per season when the Las Vegas Raiders acquired him from the Green Bay Packers in mid-March. Less than a week later, Tyreek Hill topped that with a $30 million average after he was traded by the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins.
Kupp is slated to make $14.875 million this season and $14.625 million in 2023. He likes seeing the big deals around the NFL but said it isn’t important to him to be at the top of the money list.
“I don’t think that’s really kind of the approach that I take,” Kupp told reporters Tuesday after a voluntary team workout. “I definitely think there’s a place you want to be. There’s a place that you feel like is fair. A place for me and for this organization.
“I’m not trying to beat anybody. I’m not trying to compare myself to anyone else. It’s more about being in a place that’s just right for both sides.”
Kupp is in line for a big raise after putting together one of the top receiving seasons in NFL history.
The 28-year-old Kupp became the fourth player since the AFL-NFL merger to win the receiving triple crown, leading the league in receptions (145), receiving yardage (1,947) and touchdown catches (16). The others are the San Francisco 49ers’ Jerry Rice in 1990, the Green Bay Packers’ Sterling Sharpe in 1992 and the Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith in 2005.
Kupp also caught two touchdowns in the Super Bowl, the latter one for the winning score with 1:25 to play as the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20.
Kupp has 433 receptions for 5,517 yards and 40 touchdowns in 71 regular-season games (57 starts) over five seasons.
Los Angeles coach Sean McVay said the organization has had “good dialogue” with both Kupp and star defensive tackle Aaron Donald in terms of getting extensions done.
Also, quarterback Matthew Stafford said his throwing arm is feeling good. Stafford reportedly had an anti-inflammatory shot earlier in the offseason.
