The star wide receiver and team leader hasn’t found the same form since a midseason ankle injury in 2022. By designating Kupp a post-June 1 cut, the Rams save $15 million against the salary cap.

From the moment Kupp himself announced that the Rams were trying to trade him, it seemed like an impossibility. No one would be taking on his $20 million compensation package, and Kupp had no reason to take less to facilitate a deal.