SAN JOSE, Calif. — Cooper Kupp’s first foray into NFL free agency ultimately led him to Seattle.
But before the veteran wide receiver signed with the Seahawks last spring, he drew interest from their Super Bowl LX opponent, the Patriots.
“They had reached out,” Kupp said Wednesday at Seattle’s Super Bowl hotel. “They were interested, then they kind of went dark. So I think there was something there initially, but it never (advanced).”
The Super Bowl LVI MVP, who was released by the Los Angeles Rams last March, said he “would have been open” to signing with the Patriots because they checked an important box on his next-team checklist: a desirable setup at quarterback with second-year pro Drake Maye.
“That whole time was so crazy,” Kupp said. “I’d never experienced that before. And so it was one of those things where you kind of are open to a lot of different situations. You have a few things I think that you’re looking for, and one of them was a quarterback situation that was good. (The Patriots) certainly had that, so I think that was something that we would have been open to if it had come to it.”
Kupp wound up landing a three-year, $45 million contract from the Seahawks. The Patriots, who were in the market for a difference-making veteran receiver, signed Stefon Diggs for $63.5 million over three years.
Those moves worked out well for all parties.
Diggs became the No. 1 wideout New England’s offense had lacked for years, catching 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in his return from a torn ACL. Kupp’s 47-catch, 593-yard, two-score season was a far cry from his Triple Crown campaign in 2021 (145-1,947-16), but the 32-year-old was a solid second option for Seahawks QB Sam Darnold behind first-team All-Pro Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Kupp converted three second-half third downs in the Seahawks’ NFC Championship win over the Rams, including the game-deciding touchdown. Now, he’ll face the Patriots in a Super Bowl for the second time after losing to Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Co. in Super Bowl LIII.
“They play together,” Kupp said of the Patriots’ defense, which has allowed 8.7 points per game this postseason. “They make the most of their opportunities because they’ve got guys that can catch the ball. They’ve shown over and over again, it’s not just knocking the ball down, it’s catching the ball and turning it into turnovers. They’ve done a great job of that.
“Just real good football players that play together. I think more than anything, when you play hard and play together, that’s the sign of a good defense, and they’ve done that over and over again. … They’re going to present a great challenge, as you’d expect in a Super Bowl.”
