Cooper Kupp is heading into his 10th NFL season, and the early message from the Seattle Seahawks is that his value goes far beyond the box score.
Last season was Kupp’s first with the Seahawks, and while the raw numbers were modest by his standards — 47 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns — there was still plenty for Seattle to build on. He averaged 12.6 yards per reception and posted a 58.6 percent success rate, both signs that he remained productive even in a different setting.
The bigger takeaway came in the postseason. Kupp was Seattle’s leading receiver in two of its three playoff victories and scored a crucial touchdown in the NFC championship game. For a veteran receiver entering his second season with the team, that kind of timely impact matters just as much as regular-season totals.
Macdonald sees the bigger picture
Mike Macdonald has been one of the clearest public advocates for Kupp this summer. During warmups last week, Macdonald told Kupp he did not need to practice, saying, “We don’t need to see you practice,” while also making it clear the decision was tied to how well Kupp had been doing in camp.
Kupp later explained that he understood the reasoning and trusted the coach’s approach. “I understood where he’s coming from and it is what it is,” Kupp said. “I trust Mike and ultimately what he’s doing is looking out for his guys, for his team.”
That trust was also on display in the first episode of Hard Knocks, which showed Macdonald and Kupp together in the coach’s office. The scenes helped underline what Seattle seems to value most about Kupp: his football knowledge, his presence in meetings and his ability to help shape the offense even when he is not on the field for every rep.
Kupp said there is still a competitive part of him that wants to practice, especially in veteran situations. “There’s always a part of you that wants to compete, veteran in you that wants to go out there and go in those situations,” he said. “Those practices are a lot of fun.”
Macdonald’s answer to that competitive instinct was simple. He told Kupp, “You’ve having a (expletive) awesome camp. God forbid something happened.” Kupp’s reply — “Glad I could help,” — fit the tone of a player who understands his role and the bigger picture.
That may be the best way to view Kupp at this stage of his career. He is still producing, still helping Seattle win important games and still giving the Seahawks a veteran receiver whose influence reaches quarterbacks, coaches and the rest of the room. Heading into his 10th season, that is a pretty useful place to be.
