There has been a flurry of big contracts given out this offseason throughout the National Football League, especially to wide receivers.
Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill have both gotten paid big bucks, and their new deals are worth roughly at or near $30 million a year.
The Los Angeles Rams‘ Cooper Kupp, another talented wideout, is under contract for two more seasons, yet he is also looking to get a new contract done soon.
He has said that he wants to keep things fair between him and management and that he won’t try to top the deals given to stars such as Adams or Hill.
What could constitute fair market value for Kupp?
Kupp Had A Remarkable Season
The Washington State native had a year that most players can only dream of.
He led all receivers with 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns, and he was named to both the Pro Bowl and All-Pro First-Team for the first time.
@ClappedCesar Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp in the 4th quarter vs the Buccs. Easily one of the most clutch plays I’ve ever seen where I knew that this year was our year. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/8T7QPQEQsD
— Cesar 🥱 (@ClappedCesar) April 14, 2022
Of course, he also helped lead the Rams to the world championship by tallying 92 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score with just over a minute left, in the Super Bowl en route to game MVP honors.
Two months ago, Cooper Kupp capped off a remarkable season with the game-winning TD to give the @RamsNFL their first Super Bowl championship since 1999!#RamsHouse | @NFL pic.twitter.com/IZN9XDRHW7
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) April 13, 2022
Some of the credit has to go to quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was clearly a huge upgrade over Jared Goff and had an outstanding year himself.
Stafford’s ability to connect on long passes better than Goff clearly had an effect on Kupp’s performance this season.
Kupp is just 28, so if he stays healthy, he should have several more productive years left in him, which seems to increase his value even more.
Was Kupp’s 2021 An Aberration Or A Sign Of Things To Come?
However, given that 2021 was the first time Kupp made the Pro Bowl or posted over 1,200 yards or 10 touchdowns in a single season, one has to wonder if he will continue to put up monster numbers each season, or if 2021 was nothing more than a happy fluke.
There have been other wideouts who had a breakout season, earned a huge contract extension, then fizzled out despite being relatively young.
There is always the threat of the dreaded championship hangover, which can not only affect players individually but also teams as a whole.
Perhaps the Rams will give Kupp an extension that is worth almost as much as those of Hill or Adams, only to see Kupp regress to a mean that would render that contract too big and a hindrance when it comes to the salary cap.
Once Aaron Donald leaves the team, for example, they will want to be able to replace him and pay that replacement a competitive salary, and paying Kupp for a season he will never duplicate would come back to haunt the team at that point.
It may be more prudent for Kupp and the Rams to wait this out and not rush into inking a deal before the start of the new season.
After all, there is no rush, since he will be under contract for an additional season after the upcoming one.
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