Kevin O’Connell’s Old Friend Just Became Available

The Vikings had some outstanding wideout duos in the last decades. Currently, Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson are the main characters in the defensive coordinator’s nightmares. In recent memory, Jefferson and Adam Thielen had a comparable effect, and so did Stefon Diggs and Thielen.
Kevin O’Connell’s Old Friend Just Became Available
Kevin O’Connell’s offense is built around a pass-heavy attack, although he has always talked about the importance of the running game, and upgrading that element of the offense surely is near the top of his to-do list in the 2025 offseason.
There’s a guy available who could help O’Connell in both areas, in the passing and the running game.

That man is Cooper Kupp, with whom Minnesota’s head coach won the Super Bowl with the Rams. On Monday, the former Triple Crown winner announced via his own social media airwaves that he was informed of his club’s intention to trade him. Kupp wrote:
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.
Still, if there’s one thing that I have learned over the years: there are so many things that are out of your control, but it is how you respond to these things that you will look back on and remember.
I have taken so much pride in playing alongside my teammates for the LA community, so thank you for embracing my family and making this such a special place for us.
2024 began with one of the best training camps of my career. Preparations start now for 2025. Highly motivated, as healthy as ever, and looking forward to playing elite football for years to come. Love you guys..
But coming for it all.
Kupp was a third-rounder in 2017. Coming out of Eastern Washington, he was one of Sean McVay’s first draft choices as the head coach of the Rams. He quickly established himself as one of the top weapons in his offense, recording 869 receiving yards and five scores in his rookie campaign.

His sophomore season was cut short due to a torn ACL, but he returned with 1,161 yards and ten touchdowns in 2019. O’Connell joined the Rams in 2020, and Kupp tabulated 974 yards and three touchdowns.
The Rams then traded Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford to fully unleash the passing attack, and Kupp quickly rose to stardom, dominating the receiving statistics. He led the league in catches, yards, and touchdowns in one of the most prolific receiving seasons ever in 2021. Kupp caught 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 trips to the endzone.
He continued his dominance in the postseason with 33 receptions for 478 yards and six touchdowns in only four games. His all-time great playoff journey ended with a game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl.
Kupp has failed to generate more than 812 yards in a season since then, scored only 17 times in the last three years, and played in only 33 contests.

The receiver will turn 32 in June, and Puka Nacua has long taken over the top role in the passing game, which is why it makes sense for the Rams to get out of his huge contract.
Mike Garafolo reported the financial details: “Cooper Kupp is due $20 million in 2025 — a $5 million roster bonus payable in March (fully guaranteed) and a $12.5 million base salary. Barring a renegotiation, a team making a trade with the Rams would assume that money and $19.85 in 2026.”
The Vikings will not spend that kind of money for a receiver they don’t really need. They are still set with Addison and Jefferson, but one can never have too many wideouts. They would have to renegotiate a pay cut or hope there’s no trade interest around the league and wait for him to get cut. Currently, the Vikings have about $55 million in cap space and could use a portion of it to acquire Kupp.
The veteran still has some gas left in the tank and is a reliable pass-catcher. In addition to that, he is the premier run-blocking receiver in the NFL. Jefferson, Addison, and WR3 Jalen Nailor aren’t a physical group of receivers, which is part of why the running game has struggled. Kupp could fix that problem.

Whenever a coach has a history with a player, and they had some success together, there will be talk about a reunion. A wide receiver might not be one of the top needs, but having another decent option is intriguing.
It’s fair to expect Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to call the Rams and Kupp’s agent and ask for their respective prices. If he is available for a mid or late-round pick and a reworked contract is possible, Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell will have some fascinating talks.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt