When the Seattle Seahawks signed a 32-year-old Cooper Kupp this offseason, the expectation around him was to be a bridge WR1 till Jaxon Smith-Njigba achieves his potential. But thanks to the Njigba having a break out season, Kupp has remained out of the spotlight, finishing the regular season with 47 receptions for 593 yards and two touchdowns across 16 games.
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What’s been impressive however is the fact that unlike the last few years, Kupp was barely injured this season, missing just one game in Week 9 due to a hamstring issue. Add to his availability, his ability to come clutch and no wonder the 14-3 Seattle Seahawks secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC, an NFC West title, and a first-round bye.
So now with the Seahawks sitting out Wild Card Weekend, Kupp finds himself watching playoff football from home. But as he recently explained to the media, it won’t be a passive experience. Speaking to reporters, the veteran WR revealed that when he sits down with his teammates to watch the Wild Card games, the broadcast commentary doesn’t survive very long.
“I gotta mute that thing sometimes. The boys sit down, let me explain to you what’s really happened. Cris… Cris Collinsworth, I love you…,” Kupp began.
The Seahawks star wasn’t taking a shot at the broadcast booth. In fact, it was just an insight into how Cooper Kupp consumes football. While he acknowledged that color commentary is a “hard job” and showed respect for the analysts, he also admitted that rewinding, pausing, and dissecting plays is unavoidable when football minds gather in one room.
“They’re always rewinding. I’m sure the boys love my dissertations,” Kupp explained.
That said, this attention to detail is not at all accidental or surprising considering Cooper Kupp has always known to be a student of the game. Some may even argue that it’s also been the defining trait of Kupp’s entire career.
Across nine NFL seasons, Cooper has compiled 681 receptions, 8,369 receiving yards, and 59 touchdowns, earning a reputation as one of the most technically sound wide receivers of his era.
His resume includes receiving the Triple Crown in 2021 and a Super Bowl LVI MVP — accomplishments built both on raw athleticism and on route precision, leverage manipulation, with an understanding of defensive structure.
So while laymen like us need analysts like Cris Collinsworth’s help to understand the intricacies of the play, a guy like Cooper Kupp may already be making mental notes on releases, coverage rotations, and how defensive backs are reacting to motion.
Simply put, broadcast commentary, no matter how insightful, moves at a different pace than what he’s looking for in that moment.
Moreover, with Seattle set to face a Wild Card survivor in the Divisional Round, Cooper Kupp’s analysis would really be beneficial for him to pull off yet another clutch outing. It’s perhaps also why his teammates seem more than happy to indulge his breakdowns.
Safe to say, whichever team faces Seattle next is definitely going to have a hard time vs. Kupp. So better come prepared.
