A report several days ago listed the Broncos as being uninterested in a trade for Cooper Kupp. No one traded for Kupp, as the Rams abandoned that pursuit and cut the former All-Pro. With Kupp on the market, however, Denver is believed to have interest.
Kupp may also have interest, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who said during an appearance on Altitude Sports 92.3 FM that if the veteran receiver had his way, “he would like to be in Denver.” Adding that the Broncos would be an appealing destination for the cap casualty, Schefter points to interest on the player’s part. The team would stand to be interested as well, and Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz describes the Broncos as “firmly in the mix.”
The 31-year-old receiver has been connected to a potential $12M-per-year number, and with at least four other teams (the Patriots included) in the mix, Schultz expects Kupp’s asking price to ultimately be met. Kupp has been connected to wanting to stay on the West Coast. Colorado certainly does not qualify, but the Broncos would qualify as a fit.
Denver has one of the game’s best contested-catch players in Courtland Sutton, a two-time 1,000-yard receiver who operates primarily as an outside playmaker. Beyond Sutton, a host of unproven rookie-contract wideouts round out Denver’s group. Marvin Mims presents the most promise of this cast, being 2-for-2 in first-team All-Pro nods as a returner and impressing as a receiver down the stretch. The Broncos also saw flashes from fourth-round rookie Troy Franklin — a Bo Nix college teammate — and seventh-rounder Devaughn Vele. That said, this offense could benefit from a veteran performer.
Sean Payton named tight end as a position he was more interested in filling compared to receiver, and the team has checked that box by adding Evan Engram on a two-year, $23M deal ($16.5M guaranteed). Kupp appears to land in a similar price range, after not staying healthy during his three-year, $80M Rams extension. The Broncos do have a rookie-QB contract to build around, though they are also carrying $30M-plus in Russell Wilson dead money this season. While Nix being tied to rookie-scale money through 2026 presents an opportunity, the Wilson number is not exactly an afterthought on the Broncos’ 2025 cap sheet.
Engram stands to help give Nix a short- and mid-range target, while Mims profiles as a long-range threat who has often been used as a gadget weapon under Payton. A veteran third receiver, the presences of Vele and Franklin notwithstanding, could benefit Nix. Although, the Broncos will undoubtedly join other teams in being hesitant due to Kupp having missed 18 games — primarily due to ankle issues — since his dominant 2021 season.
Kupp’s 1,947-yard 2021 also included a 478-yard, six-touchdown playoffs he capped with the Super Bowl LVI game-winner. While Kupp has not matched that form since, he averaged 90.2 receiving yards per game in 2022 and combined for 11 TD receptions over the past two years. He notched three 100-yard games last season, even as Puka Nacua became the Rams’ clear-cut WR1. Teams eyeing a veteran No. 2 target have a bevy of options now, as Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen and Tyler Lockett are available. Kupp’s release, however, may have vaulted him to the front of the line on this market.
