THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – All week, wide receiver Cooper Kupp's focus was on preparing for the Dallas Cowboys. Whether a contract extension was signed with Rams prior to their season-opener or not, he was content with whatever direction negotiations went.
"I was really at peace with whatever ended up happening," Kupp said during a video conference with reporters Monday morning. "When you head into a season and being able to play games, there's always risk that comes with that. But because who I am and my beliefs, that God made me to play this game, that I get to go into each game with a quieted mind knowing that my plans have been set out for me and I can trust in that."
That trust in his faith was rewarded Saturday, when he signed a 3-year extension to remain in Los Angeles through the 2023 season.
Being part of the team's long term plans was Kupp's goal all along as he approached the 2020 season – what was the final year of his rookie contract prior to the extension. He reiterated to local media multiple times how much he loved it in L.A. and enjoyed his coaches and teammates.
Clearly, the feeling was mutual between player and organization. Look no further than Kupp's accomplishments on the field.
A third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Kupp made an immediate impact as a rookie, hauling in 62 receptions for 869 yards and five touchdowns. Though his second season ended prematurely because of a torn ACL, he bounced back from it with the first 1,000-yard receiving campaign of his career (1,161) in 2019, also leading Los Angeles in receptions (94) and receiving touchdowns (10).
All told, including his four catches for 40 yards Sunday night against the Cowboys, Kupp has tallied 200 receptions for 2,636 yards and 21 touchdowns through 40 career game. He has also become one of quarterback Jared Goff's most reliable targets along the way.
"Very excited for him. He deserves it," Goff said after L.A.'s win over Dallas. "It's always a good thing when teams can reward good players who do the right thing and approach things the right way. I think here at the Rams, we've done that and it's really good to see that again with Cooper and obviously on the heels of (CB) Jalen's (Ramsey) deal. It's exciting for me, I know I get to have him for however many more years his deal is, I believe it's a three-year extension. So, this year plus three, or I don't really know how that works, but it'll be fun."
Speaking with reporters last week, Rams head coach Sean McVay said the hope was to get Kupp's extension done before the Cowboys game. Now that it has been accomplished, Kupp is glad to officially be part of the team's long-term plans.
"I love this organization, everything that they stand for, everything we do here, so being able to come into this facility and know that I can do that again for the years to come is a really exciting thing for me," Kupp said.
