As of October 23, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the betting favorites to acquire Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Cooper Kupp in a trade.
Everyone in the Steelers community seems to be drooling over the prospect of Kupp flipping from blue and gold to black and gold. On October 23, Russell Wilson’s “private QB coach” Jake Heaps became aware of the trade speculation and looked to like Kupp as a wide receiver for his client.
“Cooper Kupp is not just a slot receiver,” Heaps wrote on X, praising the Rams playmaker. “When healthy, Kupp is an outstanding ‘Z’ receiver and chess piece. Can play anywhere on the field, wins on every route, and is an excellent run blocker.”
“Ever see Russ [Wilson] throw to Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett?” Heaps inquired, noting that “both [are] outstanding ‘Z’ receivers” like Kupp.
The quarterback coach made it clear that he is “not sure how practical” a potential Kupp trade between the Steelers and Rams is, but he also stated that Kupp would be a “wonderful supplement to the fantastic bunch they already have” in Pittsburgh.
Heaps also told The Athletic’s Steelers writer, Mike DeFabo, that this is entirely his opinion. And he is “crossing [his] fingers” that Kupp will be dealt to Pittsburgh “like everyone else.”
The Pat McAfee Show argues that the Steelers “need” Cooper Kupp
On October 23, the Pat McAfee Show discussed the Steelers’ probable trade for Kupp.
“Will the Pittsburgh Steelers get Cooper Kupp?” McAfee got excited and asked Tone Digz, a native Steelers fan.
“I want him so bad,” Digz said, speaking for the majority of the Steelers’ fanbase. “Everyone else gets wide receivers; why can not we?”
“Cooper Kupp, as we have discussed, is a second quarterback on the field at the wide receiver position,” he added. “He arrives at the facility at 6 a.m. every day.” Not only will he be an asset to any club he joins, but the Steelers’ wide receiver room, like many others, is very young. He would be ideal for the wide receiver room and the entire offense.”
The podcast concluded that “the Pittsburgh Steelers NEED Cooper Kupp” on X.
NFL Insider Says Rams Will Pay ‘Some’ of Cooper Kupp’s Salary, But Not a ‘Large Amount’
Dianna Russini, an NFL insider for The Athletic, claimed on October 22 that the Rams had “contacted various clubs” about selling Kupp. She also stated that Los Angeles “had signaled a readiness to take on some of the ’24 payroll and are seeking a second-round pick.”
The following day, on October 23, Russini reported that “the Rams and the [Kansas City] Chiefs talked Cooper Kupp, but the Super Bowl champs needed to deal with a team that was prepared to take on a substantial piece of the money and did not want to give up high selections.”
The Chiefs ultimately agreed to a trade with the Tennessee Titans for veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, effectively eliminating them from consideration.
Returning to Russini’s article, when a KC fan questioned whether the Rams were willing to “accept some salary” as she had previously stated, the insider reiterated: “Some, but not a large amount.”
According to Over the Cap, the Steelers now have little more than $9.688 million in available cap space, with Kupp’s base salary set at $15 million in 2024.
