It didn’t take long for Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp to assimilate himself into the lineup. After missing the first four weeks of the season because of a hamstring injury suffered in training camp, Kupp made his 2023 debut in Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

He picked up right where he left off in 2022 before his season was cut short by a high-ankle sprain that required surgery. He was once again the favorite target of quarterback Matthew Stafford, catching eight of 12 targets for 118 yards.

His replacement in the first month of the season, Puka Nacua, stayed hot as well, catching seven passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Only six other passes were completed to other players on the team. Somewhat surprisingly, none of those receptions were made by Van Jefferson.

In fact, Jefferson was on the field for only two offensive snaps against the Eagles as his already small role in the offense is all but gone with Kupp back and healthy. He has been surpassed by Tutu Atwell in the pecking order as well, leaving him as WR4, at best, on the depth chart. More than likely, he is No. 5 as the Rams like Ben Skowronek for the special teams presence he provides.

As a result, the Rams are now looking to trade Jefferson. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has reported that Jefferson’s agent and team representatives have been in contact with Jefferson being open to finding a new home.

Coming into the season, many people viewed Jefferson as a true breakout candidate. With Kupp sidelined, someone was going to have to step up into a prominent role and many analysts believed it would be him. 

That ended up not being the case, with Nacua taking over that role, leading us to where we are today. As Fowler pointed out, Jefferson was excellent in 2021 helping the Rams to the Super Bowl, catching 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns in the regular season. 

Those numbers beat the rest of his career combined, as in his 32 other games, Jefferson has caught only 51 passes for 697 yards and four touchdowns.