The LA Chargers finally added to the wide receiver room late on Wednesday via a surprise reunion with Mike Williams. Fans are not satisfied with just Williams, however, as the Chargers have ample cap space to continue building the receiving corps.
One name that has been floated around as a possibility for the Chargers is Cooper Kupp. Kupp was officially released by the LA Rams on Wednesday and is free to sign at what will likely be an affordable price.
The Chargers represent a chance for Kupp to stay in Los Angeles and play for a playoff team. On paper, the Bolts should be considered a potential destination for the former All-Pro wideout. However, it does not appear that the Chargers are actually in the hunt.
During a "SportsCenter" hit on Thursday morning, NFL insider Adam Schefter named three teams to watch in the Kupp sweepstakes: the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, and Denver Broncos. The Chargers were not named as a team to watch, and quite frankly, that should be considered a good thing.
Chargers don't appear to be in on Cooper Kupp, and that's a good thing
Kupp is a big name and many Chargers fans want to see him don the powder blue next season. Considering the options and the acquisition cost, Kupp is not the best wideout for the Chargers to target.
Joe Hortiz and the rest of the front office seem to recognize that with the Bolts are not even in the hunt.
As great as Kupp was in his prime, he has not put together a 1,000-yard season since 2021 and has battled injuries in each of those seasons. However, because he is still a big name, he will likely warrant a more expensive price tag than the other wideouts still on the market.
Plus, it is never a great sign when a contending team like the Rams chooses to move on from a player when they didn't have to. The Rams outright chose to pay Davante Adams more than Kupp to replace him. The Chargers are rightfully recognizing that red flag.
While some sections of the fanbase seem to be against it, reuniting with Keenan Allen is a much better path for the Chargers. Allen and Kupp have the same traits as older wideouts who play mostly in the slot but Allen has fewer red flags.
Plus, Allen will be available for cheaper and Justin Herbert already has built-in comfort throwing to him. If the Chargers were interested in going down this path, Allen is clearly the much better choice.
Whether or not the Chargers actually pursue an Allen reunion remains to be seen. At the very least, the Bolts have recognized that the Cooper Kupp market is not a great one to be in.