The seasoned wide receiver for the Rams made it official in 2021 when he participated in every contest and won the NFL’s coveted “triple crown” by topping the field in receptions, yards gained, and touchdown receptions.

Though Kupp was only able to play in 21 games over the course of two injury-plagued seasons, he was far from routinely excelling at that level.

Kupp is optimistic that he will regain his 2021 form as he gets ready for his ninth season.

“I’m not sure if I would be playing if I didn’t believe that was still who I was,” Kupp remarked on Monday at a Thousand Oaks press conference. That’s the person I think I am. I’m depending on myself to support my teammates.

The Rams’ voluntary offseason training began their second week on Monday. After finishing with a 10-7 record and making it to the postseason, the Rams are predicted to compete for a second Super Bowl championship in four years.

Wearing a tank top, Kupp has a toned upper body and seems fit.

The seven-year veteran has been preparing for the team activities by working out at home for weeks. Puka Nacua, a second-year pro, was invited to accompany him.

After having a record-breaking debut season in 2023, Nacua stated this week that the hardest part of training with the extremely driven Kupp was the first week.

Nacua remarked, “I think I puked every day of the week.” “That didn’t sit well with him because it was on his lawn and all that.” “You’re throwing up in my bushes, Puka, thanks,” he said.

“But it was really enjoyable. I found it very easy to follow Coop’s plan, which helped me stay centered.”

Kupp made light of Nacua’s vomiting, saying he was “not a huge fan.”

“It’s okay, the landscaping bill goes up a little bit,” he remarked. We’ll tolerate that.

Similar to Kupp, the Rams hope the NFL offensive player of the year in 2021 can recover from his setbacks in the previous two campaigns.

In June, Kupp, a 2017 third-round draft selection, will turn 31.

In 2021, Kupp set a record with 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns on 145 receptions. After the New England Patriots defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, he caught two touchdown passes and was named the game’s MVP.

The Rams rewarded Kupp with a three-year contract deal with guarantees totaling $75 million. Per Overthecap.com, it’s still the biggest guarantee among NFL receivers.

However, Kupp’s 2022 season was ruined by an ankle injury, which was just one of several injuries that led to the Rams’ notoriously poor post-Super Bowl hangover. Kupp caught 75 catches for 812 yards and six touchdowns in nine games.

Before the current campaign, Kupp missed the most of the summer practices to be with his family while they anticipated the arrival of their third kid. At the start of training camp, Kupp seemed healthy, but a persistent hamstring ailment quickly kept him out of the game.

Being placed on injured reserve at the start of the season allowed Nacua to take center stage as quarterback Matthew Stafford’s main target.

When Kupp made his season debut in the fifth game, he looked good at first, gaining over 100 yards in receiving back-to-back games against the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles. Despite this, Kupp seemed to struggle for the majority of the remaining games in the season, finishing with 59 receptions for 737 yards and five touchdowns.

Kupp’s salary-cap number for this season is $29.8 million, which is second only to Stafford’s $49.5 million.

Rams general manager Les Snead stated last month at the NFL owners’ annual meeting, “Last year really bothered Cooper — that’s just who he is.” He continued by saying that Kupp’s potential for overtraining was his only worry heading into this season. “Those competitors almost feel bad about not giving it their all.”

Kupp claimed to have mastered the art of “being present” and to relish “being exactly where I need to be.”

“I think that my preparation, my work ethic, and other factors will allow me to be the productive player that I know that I am,” he stated. And I’m excited to play some excellent football this year when I go outside.