With their defense ranking among the best in the league nearly halfway through the 2024 season, the Denver Broncos can shift their attention to improving their struggling offense as the trade deadline approaches.
While acquiring a Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion typically comes with a hefty price tag, the Los Angeles Rams and wide receiver Cooper Kupp might be on the verge of a trade.
The Broncos are one of the teams to keep an eye on if that happens.
Ian Hartitz from Fantasy Life noted on X on October 23 that he sees the Broncos as a potential fit for Kupp, and a proposal from Heavy Sports suggests that the deal could align with Kupp’s rumored value.
Kupp, 31, has played in two games during the 2024 season and participated in a full season once, back in 2021 when he was named a Pro Bowler. That year, he recorded 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns, leading the league in all categories.
The Rams went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
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In contrast, over the 2022 and 2023 seasons combined, Kupp caught 134 of 193 targets for 1,549 yards and 11 touchdowns across 21 games. So far in 2024, he has an 18-147-1 stat line in the two games he has played.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Michael Silver, and Jourdan Rodrigue on October 23, “The Los Angeles Rams have engaged in discussions with teams about a possible trade involving star wide receiver Cooper Kupp.”
Sources familiar with the talks noted that the Rams are open to absorbing some of Kupp’s remaining salary for 2024. Kupp’s base salary at the start of the season was $15 million, with a cap hit of $29 million. He is also set to receive a $7.5 million roster bonus in March, with $5 million guaranteed, as reported by Over the Cap. These sources mentioned that the Rams are looking for a second-round pick in return.
Kupp is in the first year of a three-year, $80.1 million contract.
It’s still unclear how much of Kupp’s salary the Rams would cover in a trade. The Kansas City Chiefs, a division rival of the Broncos, opted for a different strategy.
Russini reported on X on October 23 that “The Rams and the Chiefs discussed Cooper Kupp, but the Super Bowl champions needed to trade with a team willing to take on a significant portion of his salary and were hesitant to part with high draft picks. Tennessee is the team willing to negotiate.”
When asked about how much of Kupp’s salary the Rams would pay, Russini indicated, “Some, but not a large amount.”
Instead, the Chiefs traded a conditional fifth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins. This move won’t elevate the Broncos to the reigning champions’ level—there may not be a single trade that could accomplish that.
Acquiring Kupp could provide the Broncos with a significant edge in the hunt for a Wild Card spot. A victory in Week 8 would boost their playoff chances to 52%, according to NFL.com’s Playoff Picture from October 23.
The Broncos currently have $4 million in cap space, with Over The Cap projecting they will have $71.8 million available in 2025.
Including Stidham in the trade could free up an additional $6 million in cap space for the Broncos.
This amount would be sufficient to accommodate Kupp, even if the Rams were not willing to cover some of his remaining salary. ESPN’s Jeff Legwold mentioned on October 23 that the Broncos “need draft capital—this could complicate a deal for Kupp—and would be open to considering ‘any and all’ offers for their backup quarterbacks.”
Both of Bo Nix’s backups are in the final year of their contracts. While Zach Wilson might have a higher trade value, moving Stidham would create more cap space, making him the more likely option.
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