Almost two full weeks after it was announced that the Seattle Seahawks were signing wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the complete contract details were finally made public. On its face, some Seahawks fans were quickly taken aback by what was reported as a three-year deal worth $45 million for a 31-year-old wide receiver coming off some serious injuries.
However, the complete contract details paint a different picture -- one that is more team-friendly than originally perceived.
According to Over the Cap, Kupp's contract is indeed technically a 3-year, $45 million contract. However, it appears only the first year of his contract is fully guaranteed. His 2025 base salary is listed as $5.5 million, along with a $12 million signing bonus. This brings his total guarantees in 2025 up to $17.5 million, which may sound high, but it gets better.
Seattle Seahawks got a steal in terms of Cooper Kupp's new contract
If Over the Cap is in fact correct, after 2025, Kupp is owed $0 in guaranteed money for the remainder of the deal. This means if Kupp isn't playing up to his contract this upcoming season, Seattle would still be on the books for the $17.5 million he's owed in guarantees for 2025, but could cut him as a post-June 1 release in 2026 and not face any cap penalty.
This essentially makes Kupp's deal a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the option to keep him or cut him after one season.
And even if $17.5 million seems like a bit much for a year of Kupp, Seattle has too much cap space to be at all concerned with it. After trading the likes of Geno Smith and DK Metcalf, coupled with the many releases, including Tyler Lockett, Seattle freed up north of $70 million in cap space for the 2025 season. Even with the Kupp and QB Sam Darnold signings, there is still around $42 million left in cap freedom for Seattle this offseason.
In total, Cooper Kupp will only account for a $9.35 million cap hit in 2025, even though he'll be making $17.5 million in cash flow. However, if Seattle retains Kupp after the 2025 season, his cap hit begins to climb. In 2026, if Kupp is rostered under the same contract, he will account for $17.5 million of the total cap. In 2027, if he's still rostered, that cap hit jumps up to $18 million.
Aside from the low guarantees and the fact Seattle can opt out of the contract penalty-free after only one season, there are several reasons to believe Kupp was a quality signing for the Seahawks. Firstly, from a fan-engagement perspective, Cooper Kupp will instantly be a fan favorite.
Not only is Kupp a Yakima native who played his college ball at Eastern Washington, an FCS school in Cheney, Washington, but he also left the rival Los Angeles Rams to come home to Washington and play for his hometown Seahawks.
Secondly, contrary to the narrative that Kupp is an old, washed-up wide receiver with nothing left in the tank, there is reason to be hopeful that Kupp will still be a productive wide receiver in Seattle. It all starts with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who loves his slot receivers.
While the Kupp fit in Seattle may have caused some confusion, with both Kupp and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba primarily being slot receivers, it is to be assumed that Kupp will mainly be in the slot, as JSN is better suited to play on the outside in Kubiak's offense.
Finally, Kupp genuinely seems like he wanted to come to Seattle. And that is good for a cultural shift, especially after Seattle had just traded Geno, who didn't want to play in Seattle unless he was given over $40 million per season, and DK who evidently just wanted out.
When you build a team of men who want to be in the organization, it makes all the difference in the world, especially for a second-year head coach trying to get his players to buy into his program.
