Getty Cooper Kupp stretches for the end zone in the season opener of the 2021 campaign versus the Chicago Bears.
Cooper Kupp has reached this career milestone with the Los Angeles Rams: 60 games played already.
However, there’s one accolade he has during this 60-game span: It involves receptions.
The 28-year-old Kupp has hauled in 334 career receptions — and that total has already placed him ahead of three legendary Hall of Famers at his position.
Where Kupp’s Reception Total Puts Him Over
So who are the legendary wideouts Kupp has caught more passes than? Here’s the names: Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison and Randy Moss.
That’s right…three of the greatest and three members of the Canton building now have less catches through 60 games compared to Kupp. Here’s a closer look:
- Rice: The legendary San Francisco 49er reached the 60-game plateau in the season finale of the 1988 season versus the Rams. At that time, Rice had caught 264 passes per Pro Football Reference. From 1985-1988, Rice had just one 80-catch season (86 in his second year). Kupp has back-to-back 90-catch seasons before the 2021 campaign.
- Moss: The 2018 Hall of Famer reached his 60th game on December 9, 2001 against the Tennessee Titans. Moss’ reception total through 60 contests stood at 294. Moss had two 80-catch seasons during that span.
- Harrison: The 2016 Hall of Famer caught more balls than both Rice and Moss through that number of games at 311. Harrison also has the lone 100-catch season (115 in 1999) than the three including Kupp. But Kupp has surpassed him by 23 catches during the 60-game stretch.
But does Kupp have more receiving yards than the trio during this rate? Kupp currently sits at 4,223 yards. However, that puts him only ahead of Harrison’s total of 4,141 yards.
Per Pro Football Reference, Rice accumulated 4,881 through the four season length. Moss racked up more at 5,199.
For touchdowns, Kupp has 31 trips to the end zone…placing him fourth among the Hall of Fame triplets.
Kupp’s Current Rate
Kupp through this 5-1 start has 46 catches, 653 yards and 7 touchdowns — placing him tied for first in the reception category with Green Bay’s Davante Adams and Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill. His TD’s, though, puts him ahead of every NFL wideout as of Week 7.
That means Kupp is averaging 7.6 catches, 108.83 yards and 1.16 TD’s per game. Additionally, Kupp has done the following according to Pro Football Focus:
Most receiving yards with a step or more of separation:
🐏 Cooper Kupp – 516
🐅 Ja’Marr Chase – 491
♦️ Tyreek Hill – 463
Plus in this statistic alongside the multiple Pro Bowler Adams:
Only players with 3 games of 100+ receiving yards
💯 Davante Adams
💯 Cooper Kupp
And, according to ESPN Stats and Info, he’s become the first Ram receiver since the 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Isaac Bruce to reach this feat:
Cooper Kupp has 2 receiving TD so far today, marking his 3rd game this season with multiple receiving TD.
That’s the most by a Rams player in an entire season since Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce (3) in 2000.
At this rate, Kupp’s numbers would give him this final tally: 131 receptions, 1,850 yards and 19 touchdowns in the rare 17-game schedule.
That would mean Kupp will end up shattering every single-season mark Bruce has held since 1995.
The reception mark, should Kupp reach the 130 threshold, would make him the fifth WR in NFL history to catch that many passes in a single season — joining a list that includes Harrison, Julio Jones, Antonio Brown and Michael Thomas.
But as for receiving yards, the 1,850 would place Kupp at third in front of Rice’s 1,848 he tallied in 1995. Kupp would also come in at third in the NFL history books behind Rice (22 in 1987) and Moss (23 in 2007) in single-season touchdowns should he get to 19.
Does this make Kupp a Hall of Famer? Way too early to call that. However, in just five seasons, he’s put himself in a position where he’s posting numbers that mirror Hall of Famers or in the case of catches through 60 games, puts him ahead of the three legends in the Hall.