With Nick Caley leaving Los Angeles and Cooper Kupp expected to be traded from the Rams, the Houston Texans have been in the chatter as of late.
Could Houston trade for the former All-Pro receiver as a replacement for Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell? And if so, what’s the asking price for the former Offensive Player of the Year with two years left on his current contract?
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the belief around the Rams is that Kupp’s value mirrors that of former Los Angeles Chargers receiver Keenan Allen’s from a season ago.
“The interesting part here is that there’s a lot of money involved, $20 million and a $7.5 million roster bonus due in the middle of March,” Schefter said. “The Rams are willing to pay some of that money. I think when you speak to people around the league, they see Keenan Allen go last year for a fourth-round pick, and they believe that Cooper Kupp is in a similar situation.”
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— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 9, 2025
Coincidently, Allen said the Texans were rumored to be in the mix for his services before eventually moving over to Buffalo to acquire Diggs.
Kupp’s base salary of $12.5 million in 2025, is actually less than Allen’s $18.1 million salary. He’ll also have one more year left on the contract, though the salary total will increase to $14,8 million in 2026.
Kupp is also 31 years old, which is the same age as Allen at the time of the trade to Chicago last year. Allen, however, might have laid the foreground of why a team shouldn’t trade for a veteran pass-catcher after the veteran only totaled 744 yards off 70 catches in Chicago en route to a 5-12 finish.
I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships. I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA.
Still, if there’s… pic.twitter.com/XWmbGVscGy
— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) February 4, 2025
Kupp, who was limited to 12 games, finished with 710 yards and six TDs, so his numbers echoed Allen’s production a year later in age. Houston needs a stable No. 2 weapon opposite Nico Collins and given his relationship with Caley, it’s easy to see why the two sides could work out a deal.
If the Texans could land Kupp for a fourth-round pick, that should be viewed as a win, but only if Los Angeles will eat part of the guaranteed salary for the next two seasons. Otherwise, Houston should target a few younger and more stable names on the market.