Four years ago, Cooper Kupp was hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and taking home Super Bowl MVP honors after a season that felt straight out of a football fairytale. Fast forward to now, and he’s suiting up for the Seattle Seahawks, preparing to face the team that helped him reach those heights - the Los Angeles Rams - with a trip to the Super Bowl once again on the line.
When asked this week if he ever imagined such a scenario, Kupp didn’t hesitate to keep things grounded.
“No,” he said. “You take things one day at a time.”
It’s a classic Kupp response - humble, team-first, and focused on the moment. He spoke about the journey, not just his, but of every player who will step onto the field in the NFC Championship Game.
Each one, he said, has a story. His just happens to come with a little extra narrative juice.
“This is an unbelievable storyline,” Kupp acknowledged. “The chances of this ends up being what it is.
And I’m really excited about that. But this is the Seahawks going into an NFC Championship game and trying to get the job done.”
That’s the tone Kupp struck - not one of revenge or personal vindication, but of purpose, unity, and the grind of playoff football. He talked about the power of playing not just for yourself, but for the guy next to you. And for Kupp, that’s what this moment is all about.
“It’s a powerful thing when all 50 guys are playing for their purpose,” he said. “But it’s even more powerful when you’re playing for the guys next to you.”
This version of Kupp isn’t the same one who put up video game numbers in 2021. His role in Seattle’s offense has been more complementary than featured - 47 catches for 593 yards over 16 games.
That’s his lowest production since 2018, when injury limited him to just eight games. But don’t mistake fewer stats for lesser impact.
Kupp’s presence has been felt in other ways - as a route technician, a third-down safety valve, and a veteran voice in a locker room that’s grown up fast this season.
And while the Seahawks’ focus is squarely on getting back to the Super Bowl for the first time in over a decade, it’s impossible to ignore the full-circle nature of Kupp’s situation. First year in a new uniform, facing the franchise that drafted him, developed him, and celebrated his greatest moment - all with a Super Bowl berth hanging in the balance.
Kupp won’t say it out loud, but you can bet he feels the weight of it. Still, he’s keeping his eyes on the bigger prize.
“This is the Seahawks going into an NFC Championship game,” he said again, emphasizing the team over the individual. “And trying to get the job done.”
That’s the mindset of a player who’s been to the mountaintop - and knows exactly what it takes to get back.