The Detroit Lions are coming off their most successful season of the Super Bowl era, a magnificent 15-2 record. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t good enough for the Lions to make their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history after being eliminated in the Divisional Round playoffs.
Now the Lions, after losing their offensive and defensive coordinator, have to find a way to return as a better team. This could be tricky, but adding more talented players who have experienced past playoff success could be exactly what Detroit needs.
Detroit Lions could use Jared Goff connection to land Cooper Kupp
The Detroit Lions have a star-studded receiving corps led by two-time All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown and 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams. Having a Pro Bowl tight end in Sam LaPorta surely helps too. Yet, there’s still room for improvement on the Lions’ roster.
One area that could be addressed is the Lions’ No. 3 receiver role, which belonged to Tim Patrick this past season. With Patrick set for free agency, the Lions will need to find a replacement for their third receiver this offseason.
As ESPN’s NFL insider Jeremy Fowler recently suggested, perhaps Cooper Kupp would be an ideal fit in Detroit. The Los Angeles Rams are looking to trade their former All-Pro receiver, and he’s already built up four seasons of chemistry catching passes from Jared Goff from their time together in LA.
“As far as early teams that people are bantering about, Pittsburgh Steelers looked into Cooper Kupp at the trade deadline last season. They still have a need there. Washington could look for a complement to Terry McLaurin. The Patriots would be foolish not to at least check in on this given their receiver situation. And here are a few surprises for you: Detroit Lions. Jared Goff came in the league with Cooper Kupp. That’s instant chemistry. And then doesn’t this feel a Kansas City Chiefs move a little bit?”
ESPN on Cooper Kupp/Detroit Lions trade
Kupp signed a three-year, $80 million contract extension with the Rams in 2022. He still has two seasons left on his contract and will have a $29.7 million cap hit in 2025, barring a restructure.
On paper, the fit makes a lot of sense, especially if Kupp wants to compete for another Super Bowl ring. Yet, the Lions will still have to beat out what’s likely to be a strong market for the former Super Bowl MVP.
