Cooper Kupp Deserves Legit MVP Consideration
Cooper Kupp continued his remarkable 2021 season Tuesday night with another big-time performance that helped propel his Los Angeles Rams to a win. Kupp is on pace to win the NFL's wide receiver Triple Crown this season and, given just how massive his numbers have been, he absolutely deserves MVP consideration.
Kupp caught nine passes Tuesday night for 136 yards and two touchdowns. That only served to bolster his phenomenal numbers this season. Through 14 games he has 122 catches for 1,625 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 28-year-old is averaging 8.7 receptions, 116.1 receiving yards and one touchdown per game. If he keeps those averages up (and we round up the receptions), he is currently on pace to tie the NFL single-seasons record for receptions (149) and break the record for receiving yards (1,964) -- though he'll be doing so in the league's first 17-game NFL season.
On Tuesday night, Kupp set an NFL record by having this 10th straight game with 90 or more receiving yards. He also had his fourth game of the season with 100 or more receiving yards and two touchdowns. Only three players -- Randy Moss in 2007, Terrell Owens in 2005 and Lance Alworth in 1966 -- have had more. And, what's crazy, is that the Kupp could be the first receiver in NFL history to top 2,000 yards in a season. He'd have to average 125 yards per game to cross that barrier. He's topped 125 yards in five games already this season.
While Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are getting all the MVP shine right now, with Jonathan Taylor bringing up third place, Kupp deserves consideration.
After losing Robert Woods for the season mid-November, the Rams had serious issues at wide receiver. Kupp has more than made up for that loss single-handedly. Van Jefferson has stepped into the team's No. 2 receiver role and a resurgent Odell Beckham Jr. has chipped in. But Kupp has become an elite wideout, taking tons of pressure off quarterback Matthew Stafford and opening things up for everyone else.
A receiver has never won NFL MVP and I'm here to ask why? Yeah, a wideout can't do anything without a quarterback throwing the ball to him, but a quarterback can't succeed without receivers or an offensive line either. Football is a team game. The MVP measures a player's value to his squad relative to others around the league. You could argue Kupp has meant more to the Rams than anyone has meant to their team in 2021.
It's time to start including Cooper Kupp in NFL MVP discussions. He's more than earned his place in the conversation.