Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans are still trying to forget Monday night, even if the Chris Godwin injury is forcing them to be followed around by it.
In case you're so adept at already blocking out core memories that don't serve you, let me gently remind you: the Bucs lost a football game but also both of their star wide receivers. It is incredibly inconvenient; both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin left Monday Night's game against the Ravens due to serious injury.
Godwin's injury was especially gruesome and required him to be carted off the field in an air cast. The team later revealed he'd need surgery to repair a dislocated ankle and that his season is likely over.
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It leaves the Bucs with basically no wide receivers. That's a problem! Nothing against Sterling Shepard or Cade Otton, but the NFC South probably isn't all that winnable when your top two pass-catching options now have a combined 356 receiving yards all season. Even with the loss last night, the Bucs are still tied for first in a division that is, politely put, very winnable.
It makes the idea of a big name trade a little more tolerable, which is good news because a big name trade just popped up on the Bucs' radar. I don't necessarily want to argue that the Bucs should panic react and make the deal, but if the Bucs DID want to panic react, here's the deal to make.
The Rams are apparently very much making Cooper Kupp available for trade
The Rams have called multiple teams about trading former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp sources tell @mikesilver, @jourdanrodrigue, and me.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 22, 2024
The Rams have indicated a willingness to take on some of the ‘24 salary and are seeking a 2nd round pick.
Cooper Kupp! He's a big deal! He also has a connection with Bucs' offensive coordinator Liam Coen – who served in multiple positions on the Rams offensive staff before being hired as Tampa's offensive coordinator this offseason – so there's even a personal connection! It's almost like fate is willing this trade into existence. And who are we to deny fate?
There is one smallish problem: I'm not sure if Cooper Kupp is actually any good anymore. Since leading the league in receiving yards (1947) in 2021, Kupp's production has dropped dramatically in every season since. He also hasn't played a full season since that year, and will turn 32 next June – the writing's on the wall.
If the Rams are finally OK letting Kupp go elsewhere – in the middle of a season, no less – that's probably worth a second look. He did have 14 catches for 110 yards in the season opener before getting hurt, if that makes you feel any better about it.
It's probably unlikely, but sometimes you just take a big ol' swing and hope for the best. It's not like Kupp would come at a crippling cost, either. The Licht-era Bucs have a decent track record of bringing in older vets who still have some juice, so why not make Kupp the next name in their long list of illustrious late-career ring chasers.