As the Seattle Seahawks signed wide receiver Cooper Kupp, it brought a sigh of relief to head coach Mike Macdonald. After trying to game plan against him for years, he's finally on the same squad as Kupp.
Even though the Seahawks made some interesting moves in the offseason, the coach is encouraged. He explained via Myles Simmons of NBC Sports what the veteran receiver brings to the table.
“You could have him covered on paper, but he’s still going to get open,” Macdonald said. “That’s something you have to experience in-game. So, he’s a guy that you have to account for on a lot of possession downs, high-leverage situations where we’ve got to have two guys on this guy.
“It’s a little bit different than some straight-line, vertical guys where you want more of a high-low double. You want him surrounded as much as possible. You’re allocating resources over there, it kind of shifts where those stress points are on the rest of the field.
Kupp has not played more than 12 games in a season since he put up a career season.
Not to mention, Kupp's 2021 performance was one of the best for a receiver in NFL history. He won AP Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl LVI MVP. In 2024, he caught 67 passes for 710 yards with six touchdowns in 12 games for the Rams.
Mike Macdonald loves Cooper Kupp on the Seahawks
Although he might be towards the end of his prime, he is still an exceptional player. The only question now has been his health. Since Puka Nacua came into the mix, he and Kupp have battled between the No. 1 and No. 2 receiver.
Whether intentional or not, it seemed that Kupp's time with the Los Angeles Rams might be over. After the franchise cut him, plenty of teams were interested in the veteran receiver.
Luckily, the Seahawks had him on their radar from the beginning. After posting just over 700 receiving yards, that might've turned some teams off of Kupp.
Not for Seattle though. The newest offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, laid out his vision for the offense. It lies right in the wheelhouse of Kupp and his skill set.
At the end of the day, Macdonald's hype might be worth it. However, it could also fall flat. After the Seahawks traded DK Metcalf away, it's the Jaxson Smith-Ngjiba show as the young receiver.
Learning from Kupp though can be a great thing. Still, the head coach sees Kupp being a key contributor this season.
