If you watched the Los Angeles Rams over the past couple of seasons and thought Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua looked a lot alike on the field, you weren’t wrong. Their styles blended so well that it sometimes felt like seeing double, especially with both working out of the slot, blocking downfield, and making clutch catches under pressure.
That bond between Kupp and Nacua is about to face a major test. With Kupp now wearing a Seattle Seahawks jersey, Nacua and the Rams are preparing for the strange reality of seeing a former mentor lined up on the other side. And when they do, both sides will be ready to compete — no hard feelings, just football.
Puka Nacua Still Wants One Specific Souvenir From Cooper Kupp
Both Nacua and Kupp had a lot of overlap in Los Angeles’ offense. Both worked in motion, a lot. They can flip from the slot to the outside, and both are adept at creating separation and entering open space. Neither is the fastest player on the field, but they regularly beat defenses downfield.
They make incredible catches and tip-toe both feet down the sideline to get the completion. They are excellent downfield blockers. They are clutch over the middle, sure-handed, work well in traffic, can take a hit, and keep churning after the catch for extra yards.
A lot of that is because Kupp took Nacua under his wing when the latter was a rookie in 2023. The 2021 NFL receiving triple crown winner famously invited Nacua to train with him before the 2024 season. It’s hard to see a mentor move on, especially one who generously and graciously teaches you all of his tricks.
“I know Seattle’s lucky to have him. He’s a great human being and a great football player as well, and it’ll be exciting to see him two times a year now. I think so, 100%,” Nacua told RG.org.
“I know he’s going to go out there and he’s going to play,” Nacua continued. “He’s going to be ready to go anytime he steps on the football field, as he always is. I know when we play each other, whether it’s at home or when it’s over there, he’s going to be ready for that one for sure.”
“There’s no doubt about it,” Nacua said of wanting to beat Kupp. “I told him, I was like, ‘After we beat you, don’t hate me.’ But I’m going to need that No. 10 jersey, even though I haven’t got one from the Rams jersey, but I’m definitely going to need one of his in Seattle, for sure.”
It’s going to be odd for the Rams and Nacua seeing Kupp in a Seahawks jersey, but the split was made final earlier this year when Rams head coach Sean McVay firmly told him he would not be coming back. Kupp was hurt, emotional, and professional about the split, but it was not a surprise considering he had not played more than 12 games in a season since signing a three-year, $80.1 million extension in the summer of 2022.
Kupp signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Seahawks and will be one of new starting quarterback Sam Darnold’s primary weapons. The veteran, Kupp, will likely repeat his mentor role with Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the team determines how to utilize two slot receivers.
Regardless, the first time these two teams meet, the energy should be intense.