Just days after being cut by the Los Angeles Rams, Cooper Kupp landed with a very familiar team. He signed a three-year deal worth $45 million with the Seattle Seahawks, heading back home to Washington where he was born and raised.
Some fans weren’t exactly thrilled that Kupp signed with a division rival, but Matthew Stafford was happy to see his friend and former teammate pick a team that fit him well. Stafford was also glad Kupp “got the deal he deserved,” knowing the type of player Cooper is.
“A great teammate, a great Ram — I think everybody here knows that and can appreciate what he was for our team and what he was for this community,” Stafford told the Los Angeles Times after a flag football event on Sunday. “Happy that he landed somewhere he wanted to be and got the deal he deserved.”
To no one’s surprise, Stafford still plans to stay in contact with Kupp despite the two now being division rivals. He just won’t root for Kupp in the two weeks that they’re set to face each other.
“I’ll still stay in touch with him like I always do, and I’ll pull for him as long as we’re not going against each other,” he added.
Stafford and Kupp had remarkable chemistry on the field, in part because of how much time they spent together off it. Stafford said he’s probably spent more time with Kupp than any other teammate in his career, sitting in meetings together and always watching film each morning in what became the “Breakfast Club” at the Rams’ facility.
After their historic 2021 season together, Kupp estimated that he and Stafford spent an extra 500 hours together beyond their regular team obligations – an example of just how dedicated they were to getting better.
They’re no longer teammates but you can bet they’ll stay good friends 50 weeks out of the year.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' Matthew Stafford happy Cooper Kupp landed where he wanted
