NFL Rumors: Cooper Kupp’s Stance On Possibly Joining Patriots

The New England Patriots are among those linked to wideout Cooper Kupp this offseason, and the franchise might’ve caught the 31-year-old’s eye.

Kupp’s next landing spot remains one of the biggest mysteries, and New England knows it has a depth issue. The franchise has targeted premier free-agent wide receivers for the past few offseasons, missing out on names such as DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley and most recently, Chris Godwin — all while the void remains unfilled.

So with Kupp, a soon-to-be free agent currently in no-man’s land, the Patriots have their next opportunity. And to make matters (slightly) more favorable for New England, the Super Bowl LVI MVP has already given Foxborough some thought, too.

“According to a league source, Kupp is curious about the prospect of playing in New England and has shared that curiosity with some close to him,” Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reported Tuesday. “Kupp has personal and professional connections to Patriots, starting with ex-college teammate and fellow wideout Kendrick Bourne, who has repeatedly advocated for Kupp to come to New England on social media. The two remain friendly, sources say.”

In theory, the Patriots have a chance to make Kupp a part of their offseason blueprint for several reasons. Kupp and Bourne have a tight-knit relationship dating back to their time as college teammates at Eastern Washington. Bourne has campaigned for Kupp’s Gillette Stadium arrival, and the match makes sense. The Patriots have money to splurge, quarterback Drake Maye needs reliable targets and the organization needs a page-turning finish in 2025.

Ideally, a playoff appearance is what the organization should target, coming off back-to-back last-place finishes in the AFC East. That wasn’t possible with the several roster flaws that inflated the difficulty of Maye’s rookie season as the offensive line and coaching staff weren’t any help.

Kupp was originally supposed to be traded this offseason, but as the Los Angeles Rams have struggled to find a trade suitor, plans changed. The Rams have now pivoted with their plans to depart from Kupp, and according to ESPN, the organization is now willing to release the eight-year veteran instead.

That means the Patriots wouldn’t have to surrender any assets to Los Angeles to acquire Kupp. New England’s front office already got busy since the legal tampering period opened, adding Milton Williams, Carlton Davis, Robert Spillane and Harold Landry, among others, to help strengthen head coach Mike Vrabel’s locker room.

Another tie from the past that could help New England’s case for Kupp is tight ends coach/passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, who coached the Rams from 2020 to 2022 amid Kupp’s tenure. It’s all speculation, but even aside from the Bourne and Brown links, Kupp joining the Patriots makes sense for both sides.

Kupp played 12 games last season, all while recovering from a Week 2 ankle injury, and totaled 710 receiving yards with six touchdowns.