Admin October 23, 2024
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Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the top storylines from Week 7 in the NFL.
Sports Seriously
The NFL trade deadline, often overlooked and forgotten compared to the trade deadlines for other major American professional sports leagues, might finally be having a moment.
Its significance has grown over the past decade, and this season’s Nov. 5 deadline seems to be inspiring another wave of notable player movement. Already this month, the Las Vegas Raiders traded Davante Adams to the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns dealt Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills. And more high-profile wide receivers could soon be dealt.
There are reports Wednesday that Tennessee Titans veteran De’Andre Hopkins will soon be playing for the Kansas City Chiefs. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, meanwhile, is hoping to return from injury in Week 8 for Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings as his name is mentioned prominently in trade talks.
Will he even make it to kickoff as a member of the organization?
Here’s the latest on the situations involving Kupp and Hopkins, as well as who else might be on the move with the NFL trade deadline less than two weeks away:
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Cooper Kupp trade rumors: Latest updates
The Athletic reported this week that the Rams are speaking to multiple teams about trading Kupp, their Pro Bowl wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP. He suffered an ankle injury during Week 2 and hasn’t played in a game since then, but there has been optimism this week that he will be able to return for Thursday’s game against the Vikings.
The major obstacle to getting a deal done is reportedly more than $14 million in guaranteed money remaining on Kupp’s current contract. How much of that the Rams are willing to eat – the Jets, for instance, took on the rest of Adams’ deal to complete a deal with the Raiders – will likely determine when or if Kupp is actually traded before the deadline.
The talks have become so public, though, that Kupp and his teammates are answering questions about the rumors leading into their Week 8 game.
“I’m aware of it, but at the end of the day, I mean, I’m going to be where my feet are,” Kupp told reporters on Tuesday. “That’s all I know. I have a job to do here. And I take a lot of pride in giving everything I can for the guys in this building and being able to step on the field knowing that I prepared the best that I can. And for seven and a half years I’ve been an L.A. Ram and I’ve taken that approach every single day. And whatever happens outside of that, I’ve got to control what I can control. And right now that means being the best L.A. Ram that I can be.”
The Kansas City Chiefs are working to finalize a trade that would send Hopkins from the Titans to the defending Super Bowl champions, ESPN reported on Wednesday morning. The Titans are expected to receive a conditional fourth-round draft pick in exchange.
Hopkins has 15 catches for 173 yards and one touchdown through six games this season with Tennessee. He is in the final season of a two-year, $26.2 million contract. Hopkins, in his 12th NFL season out of Clemson, had 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns playing for the Titans in 2023.
The Chiefs needed reinforcements at wide receiver after Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown was lost to a shoulder injury in the preseason. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Shuster also suffered a hamstring injury last week.
NFL trade deadline: Who else could be traded?
The Browns’ decision to trade Cooper has led to questions about who else Cleveland might be willing to deal with quarterback Deshaun Watson out for the year and the season already headed south. Same goes for the Carolina Panthers, with ESPN mentioning players like wide receivers Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo, and even quarterback Bryce Young, as potential trade targets.
Pro Football Talk reported last week once the Jets acquired Adams that the team would look to shop veteran wide receiver Mike Williams. The emergence of rookie Brian Thomas Jr. in Jacksonville, combined with the Jaguars‘ poor start to the season, could also lead to wide receiver Christian Kirk being put on the market, according to ESPN.