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Cooper Kupp made his dramatic exit from the Los Angeles Rams last offseason and made his way to the division rival (and home state) Seattle Seahawks to prove something. He was not finished. Kupp was out to prove that he could still be a contributing piece to a championship contender.
The man they call ‘Coooooop’ was a fan favorite in the Pacific Northwest from the jump, and perhaps it was for that reason that some questioned his impact early on in the season. Those who were expecting an elite receiving threat in his prime were probably disappointed with 593 yards through the air.
Just as with Sam Darnold, you could feel the Seahawks extending a united front in shielding their teammate from outside criticism throughout the year. Beyond that, hearing them go even further to compliment the man as a legend was instructive.
Mike Macdonald, in the post-Super Bowl press conference said of ol’ No. 10: “The way he’s helped our program and how we build what we do from day to day is not talked about enough. He’s got a great perspective, and I’d be an idiot not to listen to him.” Macdonald went on to quip: Sometimes we don’t do what he wants… but definitely listen to him”.
I bet! Who can forget his preseason soliloquy about the modern evolution of the chess match between offensive and defensive schools of thought and scheme in today’s NFL…
That all being said, the Seattle Seahawks scored the third-highest total of points this year of any team in the league with their 483.
Cooper Kupp’s impact has to be imagined (with great color) to go beyond the individual raw reviving yardage total. Seahawks general manager, John Schneider, in an NBC interview with Tony Dungy stated simply,“He’s truly another coach on the field.”
Okay, the head honchos like where his head is at and how he was able to contribute with his knowledge of the game, cutting edge offensive scheme and sustained practice of excellence. How about his teammates?
Have y’all ever played Madden (trick question)? At the risk of opening a can of worms regarding video game rants, I’m talking about the new ones… There is at least one interesting feature in those games, where certain older vets can have “mentor” tags and give extra experience to others at their position group.
Even if real life may not work exactly like that, I’d like to think there is some type of dynamic to that. This might especially be true when we are talking about a gifted player like Kupp who learned and helped build an offense with a great architect and communicator in Sean McVay.
Quarterback Sam Darnold said in an interview with Chris Berman before the NFC Championship Game, “He’s affected everybody in the building, just by his leadership style.”
Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the 4th wideout in NFL history to lead the league in receiving yards and then go on to also win the Super Bowl. Sure must help that he had another member of that exclusive group in the room with him also season, eh? Someone who led with humility, unselfishness and purpose all year?
Ernest Jones IV said that Coop came into the locker room and “leaned into Jax and gave him all the knowledge— and he’s not selfish, and I think that separates him from a lot of guys. He’s willing to share that knowledge. He just wants to win.” I don’t want to take anything away from the greatness of JSN, but Kupp was undoubtedly a sounding board and an example of doing things the right way.
Darnold called Coop, “one of the best, if not the best, run blocking receiver that I’ve ever seen in the NFL.” That’s quite the statement. He went on to say, “Really, I feel like not only players, but coaches learned a ton from Coop. Just the way he talks about football, he talks about the run game.” He went on to offer: “at some point you gotta ask Coop about the run game, ‘cus he will go on a tangent for you. He’s a special player with a really high football IQ”
Young and talented guys like Tory Horton, Elijah Arroyo and Rashid Shaheed see that even as a player with serious clout in this league, you have to be willing to do the dirty work.
Horton and Shaheed are speed guys. Arroyo was billed to us as a downfield threat and potential X-receiver. All (with room for improvement from both of the 2025 rookies) looked like functioning blocking pieces in this offense.
Before the title game and after it, Coach Mike Macdonald called him a “force multiplier” in the receiver room.
In an interview post-Divisional Round against the 49ers Macdonald was asked about how great it was to see Cooper Kupp lead the team in receiving yards and receptions. He said, “I didn’t know that, but that’s awesome. Yeah, that’s really great. And every catch that he makes seems like it’s in some sort of high leverage situation. I mean; this guy has made an absolute massive impact on our team to add that to a Hall of Fame career is pretty cool. Glad he’s a Seahawk.”
Indeed, over half (55%) of Kupp’s catches this year moved the chains, picking up a new set of downs. He may not be a downfield threat, but he is a reliable and effective target.
When asked about how the offense has converted so many 3rd-and-longs this year, Kupp explained: “I think there’s just a focus, concentration, understanding of the details. That’s how it’s been all along, when things haven’t gone well, it’s just guys not being on the details. Not being on those little parts of the game that make plays go.” The finer details are exactly what Kupp brings to the table.
Cooper Kupp has championship pedigree and did not shrink in the big moments down the stretch. Kupp earned the 10th-highest ESPN YAC score during the regular season, then he led the team in receiving yardage in 2/3 of their playoff performances (Divisional Round; Super Bowl). He also fixed a Super Bowl bust on the fly.
I mean, the tone was set on Super Bowl Sunday when the first play from scrimmage featured four different Hawks players (technically) serving up pancake blocks! Those were Kupp, Grey Zabel, Anthony Bradford and Eric Saubert.
Even if a new coordinator who could feature the tight ends and run game gets more involved (more on that in a bit), or if 2026 sees breakouts from Horton, Shaheed, Bobo or Arroyo, or if Kupp loses some spring… he’s a valuable asset. He’s already done it.
NBC cameras showed Mike Macdonald embracing Sam Darnold while Schneider was embracing Kupp even harder. A few moments later, JSN was hugging Kupp and speaking to him while covering both his eyes and his mouth. This organization loves Cooper Kupp, and it clearly goes beyond receiving yards.
If he ever goes into coaching, this stint could dovetail nicely into a fresh and blossoming regime in Seattle that he feels like he helped to build in a place near to his heart. But that’s a long-term thought… back to the present!
The Seattle Seahawks recently hired Brian Fleury as their next offensive coordinator. He is a former college QB and stepson of a high school football coach who dipped his toes where he could in order to learn and grow in the NFL. He comes from the 49ers and should combine with Justin Outten, Jake Peetz and John Benton.
Call it insulation from the challenge that always accompanies sustained success in the NFL: the poaching and brain drain of your coaching staff. This coaching staff seems to be very collaborative, even to the point where players have pointed out blitzes that DC Aden Durde schemed up on defense.
Fleury has worked with John Benton (the Hawks’ OL coach) before as well as with former OC Klint Kubiak’s brother, Klay in SF. That’s all part of the appeal. Ya’ think Klint let it slip to Mike that Klay let it slip how smart and hard-working Brian Fleury is within the Niners offensive framework? Will this cause a fight at the 2026 Kubiak Thanksgiving dinner?? Speculative.
This offense should rattle along and evolve within the framework of what’s been built so far. It feels like the next challenge for Mike Macdonald and this staff to attack.
With Seattle hiring an up-and-coming coach who has coached linebackers, tight ends and been in charge of coordinating Kyle Shanahan’s run game, the Seahawks will be sure to continue stacking on the ground attack as a true strength.
That, and the fact that Bay Area reporter, Matt Maiocco used the word “detailed” four times in an interview with the Bump and Stacy radio show, should play to Kupp’s strengths as he ages one more offseason. Cooper Kupp and Brian Fleury feel like two key figures in the influence of next season’s offensive design. They’ll look to spur a 2026 title defense in the Emerald City.