Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp capped off an amazing 2021 season by winning the Super Bowl MVP award on Sunday night.
He is only the eighth wide receiver in NFL history to earn the Super Bowl MVP award.
Did Cooper Kupp just complete the best WR season of all time? pic.twitter.com/qLRefIctKu
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) February 14, 2022
SUPER BOWL MVP: COOPER KUPP pic.twitter.com/a56985A651
— NFL (@NFL) February 14, 2022
In some Super Bowls, it is obvious who the MVP will be, but in this case, the Rams had an entire team effort that carried them to the Super Bowl Championship so it was not as easy to predict.
The likely candidates were quarterback Matthew Stafford because quarterbacks are most likely to win the award.
Stafford was good but not as sharp as usual, throwing two interceptions.
The other potential candidate was defensive tackle Aaron Donald who was responsible for stopping the Bengals on their final drive when they were getting close to field goal territory to potentially tie the game.
Donald stepped up and made huge plays when it counted the most.
AARON DONALD ENDS #SuperBowl WITH A MONSTER SACK 🏆pic.twitter.com/Qbvs7u20QX
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 14, 2022
But over the course of the game, the best player was Cooper Kupp which is why he was the right choice for Super Bowl MVP.
Here are the reasons why.
2. Made Clutch Plays
After Odell Beckham Jr. left the game with an injury, it was even more critical for Kupp to find a way to get open and make big plays.
And he did it in different ways.
He ran the ball on one play for seven yards.
The first successful running play of the game for the Rams comes via Cooper Kupp with 5 minutes left in the game.
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) February 14, 2022
He made big catches and ended the day with two touchdowns and 92 yards.
Kupp caught 8 out of the 10 balls he was targeted.
Cooper Kupp should be a slam dunk for MVP. From the 3rd down conversion on his running play, to drawing several PIs, to catching the go ahead TD twice, the final drive was ALL Kupp. #KuppMVP
— Jim Wilson (@rapidgray13) February 14, 2022
1. Caught The Super Bowl Winning Touchdown
What cemented his MVP status was the game-winning touchdown catch.
Cooper Kupp beats Eli Apple for the Game Winning Touchdown. pic.twitter.com/trrttdTIAw
— Doug Rush (@TheDougRush) February 14, 2022
It was not an easy catch, and he had to contort his body to get the ball into his hands.
Kupp showed why he was the NFL’s 2021 Offensive Player of the Year in 60 minutes of football on Super Bowl Sunday.
Better Question: Was His Season The Best Ever At His Postion?
Now that we have established that Kupp was a force to reckon with the entire game and was deserving of Super Bowl MVP honors, the next discussion is where to put his 2021 season among some of the greatest single-season performances at his position.
Even Jerry Rice did not accomplish everything Kupp did in one single season.
Kupp and Rice are the only wide receivers with all of these accomplishments on their resumes.
Cooper Kupp's full season (21 games):
* 178 catches, 2,425 yards, 22 TD
* NFL regular season receiving triple crown
* Unanimous All-Pro
* Most catches in a single postseason (33)
* NFL Offensive Player of the Year
* Super Bowl MVPOne of the greatest individual seasons ever.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 14, 2022
Kupp won the regular-season triple crown which consists of having the most catches, yards, and touchdowns.
He topped that off with the most catches in a single postseason with 33.
Kupp was a unanimous All-Pro selection.
@CooperKupp went beyond the Triple Crown! This is the first-ever single-season grand slam! Awesome!! #Kupp #RamsvsBengals #SuperBowl https://t.co/GkfLuZp4NU
— Daniel García Ordaz (@poetmariachi) February 14, 2022
Some are calling Kupp’s season, a grand slam.
How Does Kupp Celebrate?
Remember the old days when the Super Bowl MVP was asked immediately how they planned to celebrate?
It usually involved a trip to Disney World.
Perhaps the pandemic curtailed this activity, but it is back for 2022.
#SuperBowl victory parade with members of the LA Rams happening right now on Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland pic.twitter.com/kpxaEmgxVi
— Disneyland News Today (@dlnt) February 14, 2022
Kupp is at Disneyland today with his teammates in a parade.
What a great Super Bowl victory and celebration for Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams!
NEXT: NFL World Reacts To Odell Beckham Jr. Injury Update