There are certain folks in Vegas who seem to believe that the Denver Broncos are the favorites to land Los Angeles Rams legend and former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp in a trade. There are obviously a lot of Broncos fans who would be excited about the idea of adding an established receiver like Kupp to the roster.
Kupp himself has acknowledged that he's been told by the Rams that he would be traded, essentially saying his last goodbyes to the organization as we all await whatever is going to happen behind the scenes.
I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships. I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA.
— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) February 4, 2025
Still, if there’s… pic.twitter.com/XWmbGVscGy
Interestingly enough, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton may have added some fuel to this Cooper Kupp-to-Denver fire. The timing is undoubtedly worth paying attention to.
Payton was discussing the Denver Broncos' offseason list of needs with Kay Adams of the Up And Adams Show and he also talked about the fact that he and his wife were hanging out in Cabo with the Broncos' quarterbacks (Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson) and their wives recently. But it wasn't just the Broncos and their wives down in Cabo hanging out. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and his wife were also there.
Given the timing of Kupp posting what he did on Twitter/X, isn't that interesting? Payton didn't say much more about the presence of McVay in Cabo, but you can't help but wonder. Is it possible that over the course of their time hanging out together, the idea of Kupp becoming a Bronco came up?
You never know.
The Rams are going to want to work to get Kupp to a situation that is going to be beneficial to him, obviously. He's done enough for that franchise that there's no way they're just going to. dump him to the highest bidder. A trade involving Kupp will involve some complicated hurdles to clear including the Rams taking on a portion of his guaranteed money for this year.
Payton acknowledged during his interview with Adams that the Broncos "need" a veteran wide receiver, but it's not on the list of "must haves". Trading a Day 3 pick for Cooper Kupp would seemingly fill the "need" the team has at that position perfectly. Payton said the Broncos like their young receivers a lot, and he name-dropped Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele, and Troy Franklin. The Broncos are not going to give up on the development of those guys.
But a player like Cooper Kupp who can get open quickly, move the chains, help you extend and finish drives, and obviously be an asset in the running game as a blocker? That can help unlock the potential of all these young Denver receivers. Especially when you look at the film and see how Kupp was instrumental in many of the plays in which the Rams designed Puka Nacua to get the ball quickly and make plays after the catch, this is a selfless player who fits exactly the mold of what Sean Payton covets at the position.
The top "must have" for the Broncos in 2025 is the Joker position on offense -- a running back or tight end with elite pass catching skills. Getting the receiver position taken care of by swapping picks or sending a late pick for Cooper Kupp would be an ideal start to the offseason for Denver, especially if the team doesn't feel receiver is as big of an area of need as the fan base perceives it to be.