Either way, Cooper Kupp could have won. Had he not been released by the Los Angeles Rams last offseason, he would have been on one of the two teams in the NFC Championship Game. But he was let go and the Seattle Seahawks picked him up. Seattle needed him more.

It wasn’t Kupp’s production that helped Mike McDonald’s team the most. Instead, they understand wide receiver leadership and how teams, not individuals, consistently win football games. He had the opposite approach from former Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf, and that was the whole point.

While Metcalf was a bit of a hothead on the field and an alpha in the locker room, Kupp fits in much better with Seattle’s current culture. Metcalf was statistically more productive with his new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, than Kupp was with Seattle this year, but Seattle needed Kupp far more than Metcalf.

Cooper Kupp says what every Seattle Seahawks fan wanted to hear

The first-year Seahawks player has high praise for the Seahawks’ standing this season, but he also appreciates the way the team is built. Sure, he’s a part of it, but he understands the whole has to be better than the parts, and the team needs to win a Super Bowl like Kupp did with the Rams in 2021.

Dialogue with the media “Every player here that’s stepped on this field has a story of how they got to this point,” Kupp said before facing his former team in the NFC Championship. My story is just one of 53 people who are going to be on that field. And my story, this is an incredible storyline and I’m really excited about that. ”

Kupp also praised the coaching staff for how hard they worked and led the team to victory. The wide receiver also hinted that the 2026 Seahawks will be a little different in how they approach the sport and how they feel they can win every game.

There are big differences between this year’s team and the 2025 team. While Mike McDonald was still the head coach of that team, players like Geno Smith and DK Metcalf created a culture that never felt completely unified. For example, Smith was visibly frustrated on the field and had too many emotional ups and downs.

Kupp and new quarterback Sam Darnold helped keep the team balanced. Sure, bad things happen, but the future can be better. Geno Smith acted like the roof was caving in at times. So was Metcalfe. Moreover, each wanted to escape from Seattle in their own way. The Seahawks liked Kupp and Darnold because they wanted to be part of the team.

Kupp signed a three-year contract last offseason with no expectations of reaching 1,500 receiving yards. His leadership will be much more valuable. The Seattle Seahawks could have signed a player who probably had better stats, but they couldn’t sign a player who would help change the team’s culture to what Mike McDonald wants.