Why Rams let Cooper Kupp leave for NFC West rival Seahawks
Multiple fanbases will have to adjust their eyes on Sunday when they see Cooper Kupp.
The long-time Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver is no longer with the Rams. And even more notable, he's with the NFC West divisional rival Seattle Seahawks.
And to make it even more fascinating, the Seahawks open Week 1 on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, another NFC West team that has plenty of history against Kupp.
It'll be a bit odd for everyone.
Why did the Rams let Cooper Kupp leave for the Seahawks?
The Rams spent the early portion of this offseason exploring a trade for Cooper Kupp. No one made a suitable offer.
Rather than keep him around, they released him.
That set the Seahawks up to sign Kupp as a free agent. He's helping to replace DK Metcalf, who was traded to the Steelers.
Kupp is from Yakima, Washington, so this was a chance to go back home.
"It is a full circle moment for sure," Kupp told NFL Network. " It has been cool. Seeing the community here, the people we know here already, really looking forward to just being able to move up here and get the family up here, just really cool, full circle moment.
"There was a lot of things that went into that. A longer process than I think we thought it would be. But I think one, we want to be able to win. We wanted to go somewhere we thought we could go and pursue a championship."
The Rams brought in veteran Davante Adams to help replace Kupp.
Cooper Kupp stats vs. 49ers
For the Rams, Cooper Kupp played 10 games against the 49ers, going 2-8.
He had 55 catches across those 10 games for 558 yards and three touchdowns.
He has only averaged fewer yards per game against two teams (Steelers, Jets), both of whom he had only played two games against in extremely small sample sizes.
The Seahawks will be hoping Kupp can change this in his Seattle debut.
Celtics’ Neemias Queta Reveals Support From Joe Mazzulla
Neemias Queta is heading into arguably the most important season of his career. The 7-foot rim-runner is expected to become the Boston Celtics’ starting big man.
Brad Stevens has overseen a talent drain in the front court. Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet all leaving the franchise. As such, Queta has a golden opportunity to prove himself at the NBA level.
Queta has spent the past few weeks in Europe, playing for the Portuguese national team at the FIBA EuroBasket. The big man thrived as a featured member of Portugal’s offense, leading the team to the knockout stages of the tournament.
In six games, Queta averaged 15.5 points, 8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Unfortunately, Germany eliminated Portugal 85-58.
When speaking to EuroHoops’ Cesare Milanti, Queta shared the support head coach Joe Mazzulla has been providing throughout the summer.
“I spoke with him a couple of times; he is always sending me messages of appreciation, or love, or me getting better,” Queta said. “What he sees in me, what I need to improve on, and that’s a great relationship that we have…It (EuroBasket) was a good opportunity for me to evolve my game and get ready for the next season…I got rested enough this offseason, and I think that I put myself in the best position to have a breakout season. I have the tools to compete with the best.”
Queta will face competition for a starting spot from Luka Garza, Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman next season.
Celtics Derrick White’ Shares Thoughts on Queta
During a recent episode of the “White Noise” podcast, Celtics guard Derrick White shared his thoughts on Queta receiving an expanded role.
“I think Joe has always been super hard on him for the last couple of years to prepare him for something like this,” White said. “Obviously, he’s going to have to have a big year, and we’re going to ask a lot out of him, which is exciting… He’s a guy who works hard, competes at a high level, and is just continuing to learn what works and what doesn’t in the NBA.”
White continued.
“We’re super excited for Neemias… I’m a big fan; he’s had so many different moments in these last two years. He’s helped us win games, or he’s changed the momentum of a game. It’s a big role for him.”
Queta played in 62 regular-season games in 2024-25. He averaged 5 points and 3.8 rebounds. However, with a bigger role on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how he scales his production.
Porzingis Backs Queta to Shine For Celtics
Kristaps Porzingis has also thrown his support behind Queta. The two went toe-to-toe at the EuroBasket tournament.
“Neemy has been getting better every year,” Porzingis said. “Coach Mazzulla has been pretty tough on him, and I believe he’s getting to a point where he deserves some real minutes, real rotation minutes. He’s been putting in the work, and you can see it in how he’s playing now in this tournament. I’m happy for Neemy. He’s a great dude, really cool person. He puts in the time, he puts in the work, and I’ll be glad to see him get a lot more minutes this year.”
Still, thriving in Europe is different to thriving in the NBA. Therefore, Queta will still need to prove himself for the Celtics. Fortunately for him, he will get every opportunity to showcase his skill set.
However, Celtics fans should have realistic expectations. Therefore, Queta may need some time to adjust to his new role. Hopefully, once he’s adjusted, he will prove he’s capable of being a starting-level NBA center.
