NFL players, past and present, flood social media over Cooper Kupp news

The news from LA Rams WR Cooper Kupp that cited the team seeking his immediate trade was something that was not on my BINGO card today.

I was dining out with my wife and friends when the news buzzed on my smartphone. I must have appeared to be horrified, as everyone at the dining table in the restaurant stopped conversing and in their own individual way asked me what was wrong. Of course, I didn't respond quickly or succinctly. I was a bit confused. Was this real? What drove the Rams and Kupp to this point of drastic resolution?

And then, it hit me. Long before I sat down at my computer, my mind began to race around the fallout of the news. If the team trades Cooper Kupp, what does that mean for the team? If the team cannot trade Cooper Kupp, what does that mean for Kupp and the team? The fallout will have long-lasting repercussions.

But I was not the only person who was stunned by the announcement. Rams teammate and friend to Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, did not hesitate to comment about the news.

Fans, current players, and even former players took to social media to express their shock and reactions to the announcement by WR Cooper Kupp. One emotional expression came from Rams DB Quentin Lake. He practiced uncounted hours against Kupp, and had this to say:

Of course, there are plenty of former Rams players who remain active on social media. One such former player is none other than retired left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who shared this with Cooper Kupp:

Even former Rams players who never competed alongside Cooper Kupp weighed in. There is a brotherhood among former NFL players who understand what an announcement from Kupp on his mental health and family means. Former Rams QB Jim Everett, always a glass half-full kind of guy, weighed in as well.

Of course, there are two sides to the turning of any page. There is, of course, the chapter that is now ending. But there is a new chapter of life, whether that is with a new NFL Playoff team, or simply paying forward with a young rebuilding team in need of veteran leadership for a young receiver room.

But as is always the case, the Rams front office will prioritize the correct placement over trade return. And one NFL veteran wide receiver has something to say about all of that:

Former opponent WR DeAndre Hopkins places this all into perspective

Sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees. Right now, fans, players of today and yesterday, see the news of Cooper Kupp's availability for trade, and a tsunami of emotions blurs the rest of the facts. But DeAndre Hopkins, now competing for the Kansas City Chiefs, knows a thing or two about being traded. Hopkins was traded by the Houston Texans to the Arizona Cardinals.

Nobody worked with him on finding him a home:

Even amidst the challenges of upheaval, of pulling out all your stakes and setting up shop elsewhere, at a place to be determined someday in the future, the Rams are taking the high road. In terms of return on any trade of Kupp? The team is unlikely to get anything more than a late Day 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft at the earliest.

But the Rams are okay with that. This is not about profiting from a touch decision. This is about making a bad situation as tolerable for all.

As always, thanks for reading.

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