The pros and cons of adding Cooper Kupp for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense | OneFootball

After spending all eight of his career seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, wide receiver Cooper Kupp is set to join a new team. The Kansas City Chiefs have to be paying attention, at least.

Kupp took to social media in February to announce that he'd been informed by the Rams that Los Angeles would be moving on from him this offseason. Kupp and L.A. worked to find a trade partner deemed as a suitable place to continue his career. Yet with the new league year officially set to begin, Kupp has yet to be traded. The expectation has turned into the wide receiver being released.

A release would allow Kupp to choose his next destination, while the Rams would only save salary cap space and move on without draft compensation. Kupp will turn 32 years old this summer. Perhaps, he will be looking to secure one last proper deal to round out his career. He leaves Los Angeles with over 7,500 career receiving yards, a Super Bowl championship, and a recent Triple Crown win.

The Kansas City Chiefs have re-signed Marquise "Hollywood" Brown to a one-year deal. Outside of that, K.C. could still stand to add at least two or three more wide receivers this offseason. Obviously, one of those additions could always come via the draft. Yet, Kupp is a known commodity that the Chiefs could tap into.

Does the longtime Ram make sense as a fit for Kansas City? Plus, what are the pros and cons of Cooper Kupp at this stage of his career?

The pros of signing Cooper Kupp for the Chiefs

Cooper Kupp still offers a variety of pros in his game as a grizzled veteran. For starters, he is a versatile piece that can win from both the slot and out wide. Including playoffs, Kupp tallied 459 snaps in the slot in 2024, via Pro Football Focus. He also logged another 272 snaps out wide. Kansas City already likes to move their receivers around and provide different pictures to the defense from snap to snap.

Kupp is still an effective and savvy route runner. The thing that stands out the most with his routes is how he attacks with swift, sharp cuts. He makes it look smooth. Though, with how he understands and attacks leverage against defensive backs, Kupp will not hesitate to make immediate adjustments toward the open side of the field.

Most of all, Kupp is an incredibly smart and instinctive receiver. He has a great feel for soft spots in coverage while knowing when to slide into an opening or sit down for the quarterback to hit him on a dime. How he works his way back to the football should not go unnoticed, either. Kupp is still a bit underrated in contested catch situations or when working over the middle of the field. Largely, his production has not come close to cratering, so long as he is healthy.

The cons of signing Cooper Kupp for the Chiefs

That last point is where you have to start for Cooper Kupp and his cons at this stage. The injury history is clear and obvious. Kupp has dealt with his fair share of ankle sprains over the last few seasons. That is what kept him out for a four-game stretch last season. And in 2022, one ankle sprain required surgery and forced him to miss the home stretch of the season.

In 2018, his second career season, Kupp play in his fewest amount of games in a single campaign. He appeared in eight contests total, missing time with an MCL injury, and then tearing his ACL in November of the same year. Overall, Kupp has appeared in 36 of a possible 54 games, including playoffs, since winning the Triple Crown and the Super Bowl in 2021.

Outside of the past injuries, Kupp would be a player who counteracts the speed Kansas City generally wants to utilize. He is not going to be mistaken for the most explosive guy in the wide receiver room. The Chiefs have to find ways to get more explosive and younger on offense. Would Kupp still offer a safe floor as a proven veteran? Yes. However, there could still be some questions of usage and deployment intermingled with the faster wide receivers in K.C.

Should the Chiefs sign Cooper Kupp or not?

The Chiefs have one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history in Patrick Mahomes, yet the offense was merely average last season. Mahomes is likely comfortable shouldering the load to a certain degree. However, Kansas City cannot always ask for their quarterback to save them in drastic situations. Continuing to surround Mahomes with players he can trust and believe in is a massive part of getting the Chiefs back to a place they want to be offensively.

A veteran like Cooper Kupp does come with some mileage and question marks as a player in his 30s. Nonetheless, his savvy and smart tactics at wide receiver still allow him to make an impact. Even if Kupp is not leading the wide receiver room in receiving, he can offer multiple ways to help out the offensive attack. The pass catcher can still move around the formation like other Chiefs wide receivers. Also, Kupp works best in the intermediate areas where Mahomes can be the most lethal.

Kansas City was linked to Cooper Kupp at last year's trade deadline. It would not be surprising to see that fascination remain from the Chiefs' front office. If they want to circle back to adding Kupp in the offense, you would have to think that Mahomes would be delighted.