Cooper Kupp: “We’re Continuing To Grow” | Seattle Seahawks

Cooper Kupp: “We’re Continuing To Grow” | Seattle Seahawks

How’s your by week? It’s good. It’s good. How are you? Great. How do you spend your time? Uh, just with family. We went back to LA. Um, spend some time down there in the sun before the darkness comes up here. So, you played with uh Bobby Wagner in LA and seeing him. What was it like uh when he came in in LA? What did you learn about him? Um, I learned he’s a tremendous leader. um that and some I think the I learned that you know tremendous leaders don’t have to be ones that are always up in front talking and um I thought he did a great job of just finding that balance of modeling what it’s supposed to look like with his process and he’s obviously been playing at a high level for a a long time now um but modeling his process and then also being able to find the times to share a word when it’s on his heart that something needs to be said um and not shying away from that. But, um, he was, uh, yeah, he was, I mean, you could tell he was a special special football player, special human being. You’ve also played against him. What’s, uh, what’s kind of the hallmarks of a Bobby Wagner defense and team when you’re going against him? A Bobby Wagner defense. Um, well, I mean, for like him specifically, I think he does a great job of communicating within the, you know, within the box of what he’s seeing. um trying to allow guys to play fast and he’s obviously his his anticipation um ability to be in the right spots. Um he’s he’s one of the best at it. Um and uh I think that you’ve just seen that over and over again throughout his career is just finding ways to just be there before like somehow he finds a way to just be at the point of attack over and over and over again. So, um, something he’s continuing to do and, uh, you can see him communicating with the guys whether with the Dline or or his linebackers and, um, safeties when they’re in the fits and things like that. So, um, yeah, he’s, uh, he’s, uh, he get has those guys on point. Offense obviously was able to do a lot of good things first seven games. Coming out of the buy, I guess, where what do you want to see next from this offense? Yeah, I think there’s just a continued continued growth. Um, uh, the most interesting thing you can do in this league, especially I mean in the middle of a season, is think that you you’ve got to figure it out. There’s you’ve got to continue to grow. Got to continue to improve. And the goal is to be a better team um at the end of the season than you were going into it. And we’ve got, you know, that’s a that’s a dayby-day daily choice to, you know, make that improvement to show up here with intentions to be able to get better as football players, um, as units in in our individual rooms, but also just as a team. So, um, I think that’s, uh, that’s the goal for us. How do you assess your your season today and kind of the the role you’ve had so far? Uh, I don’t really do that. I think, you know, I think the you I’m not in the business of looking back. I’ll have time to reflect on the season when the season’s over. Um, but I think the whole thing right now is just moving for like, man, how how do I continue to do what I’m asked to do? You know, whatever it is, whatever I’m asked to do, how do I continue to do that at a high level? um and um you know be a positive piece of of winning games here. You know what how can I be an asset for this team and um just going to continue to do that. Have you played for teams that didn’t have a clear identity of what they wanted to be and then what they were and then obviously teams that do and what’s the difference between the two? Yeah. Uh I think there’s I mean I think every team wants like that’s every team talks about training camp. We’re going to establish what we’re about. what’s our identity? And and it’s I think it’s really hard because you’re not you’re not playing the games, you know, like like you’re you need you need to play in the games and like you have this idea of what you’re going to be, but there’s also got to be a willingness to adapt and move within that. You know, what are the things that are working? What are things that we do at a high level? and um staying within the realm of you know your scheme and what you’ve practiced and you don’t want to you know completely re rewrite the uh the playbook in the middle of the season but um an ability to adapt and find ways to win and I think those are the best teams are the ones whose identity is we find a way to win the game you know and um and so yeah I think that uh I think we’ve done a good job though and we’re continue to grow and change and morph and um you know just like like water just find those cracks, keep moving, keep moving forward. Without necessarily comparing this team to any of those, but as someone who’s been on a team that’s made deep playoff runs, are there some habits or some stylistic things that you see your guys doing now that you know translate to making deep runs in the postseason? Yeah, I think it’s, you know, I think I touched on that a little bit. It’s just it’s the it’s the willingness to come in and continue to work. You know, no one here is saying, “Oh, you’re, you know, whatever. You’re five and two, you’re like we’re set.” you know, like no one’s made the playoffs with five wins. So, there’s this, you know, this mindset is like we’ve got to continue to grow. There’s so much that you can fix. Look at those, you know, those five games that we’ve won and there’s a lot of plays like, man, it’s like, man, shoot, we’re right on the edge of that game flipping, but we were able to make a play here or there that made the difference in the two games you lose. You do the same thing, right? there’s a game a play here or there that makes a difference between us being you could you can pull up probably 15 plays over the year and you could say this team is a seven and0 team or it’s an 0 and7 team and that’s across the board in the NFL that’s just how that’s those are the margins that we play on and so the mindset has to be like you have to come in to work you have if as soon as you let off the gas it’s over you know you got to keep that foot down continue to improve continue to come in here and work and um that’s what I’m seeing with the guys that are coming in you know each and every day here coming off of by week as well. It’s like it’s easy to to slow play it back in, right? But no, it’s like we’re showing work. We practice Monday. Um I thought we did a good job just the intensity out there and um you carry that into the day and um into the weekend. Along those lines, players talk about you as you know, your car is the first one in the parking lot in the morning. How and and when did you kind of acquire that kind of work ethic? Yeah, I that’s I think there’s uh for me growing up I wasn’t wasn’t the biggest dude. My whole thing is uh being able to be mentally ahead of people, being able to prepare, give myself an advantage, man. I mean, anywhere first day of training camp every time around my notebook, find a slight edge, whatever that is. Just find the edge. And um you know, I think that’s one of the ways that I find mine is being able to anticipate things, being able to play with a quieted mind where I can see what’s happening, hopefully be able to anticipate what’s happening before it happens and then have a counter when it when that picture does change. And um part of that is being able to get here, you know, get 24 hours. Everyone gets the same 24 hours. Um and the way that I divvy mine up is to be able to get in here and get get start getting preparation done um early. So that’s that. Were you at a 1900 yard season? Jackson’s on a similar track. It’s only seven games right now, but what is the biggest challenge to sustaining that kind of production on a week toeek basis throughout an entire season? Yeah, I think there’s a there’s a level of uh you know engagement that’s needed. There’s um I mean it can it is a uh you know it can be a war of attrition I think sometimes in games when you’re like hey there’s the team that you’re going against has been watching your film and knows your stuff. They’re going to have a plan to stop jacks. they’re going to have a plan to make things difficult for them. And um the hardest thing is like, hey, you might have some plays like there’s going to be some tough like some dry spells in the game where they they’re saying like, hey, look, Jack, we got we’re not letting Jacks get the ball. And um you have to be willing to push through that mentally. Um but also allow yourself to say, I’m going to find ways to win even when they’re saying that there’s no way I’m going to. And and he’s done a good job. This isn’t something that’s new. this is something that he’s been been doing this year and um you know being able to stay in those places where late in the game there’s going to be opportunities that come your way and the last thing you want to be doing is floating around um mentally when that opportunity comes um trying to stay engaged in that in that place and he’s done a good job of that. The quarterback meetings you talked about doing those in your career. What’s some being around Sam that extra time that you’ve really learned about him or been impressed with him in that setting? Yeah, I think it’s his process. So, I think it’s even being in there um when you’re watching film and we’re talking through things is um his I mean he’s in there watching film, but he’s also as a quarterback he’s going through, you know, the scripts. He’s going through the call sheets and you know, being able to make sure he understands the plays, the intent, being able to make sure his communication is clear and um just he wants to he wants to go into a game with a mastery of what the game plan is. Um and he’s done a great job. I mean, I think the the hardest thing one of the hardest things that’s, you know, for a quarterback, one of the the like some guys fail just because they can’t get their guys clarity, you know, in terms of when they’re leaving the huddle that there’s a confidence when you step in the huddle. There’s a understanding of what we’re trying to get done. There’s an ability to to communicate things clearly that allows guys to just go out there and play. And he does a really good job of that, allowing guys to play as fast as possible. Um, and it’s not an easy thing, but he does he works very hard at it. And um I think that’s a that’s a huge edge for us. Speaking of clarity, what can you say about Mike McDonald’s clarity and obviously from top going all the way down to this organization? Yeah, I mean he’s he’s the head man. He gets up here and we’re we’re team meetings every day. Um and he’s up there, you know, with a with a purposeful message. I think that kind of goes back to what I kind of said about Bobby, you know, is you know, Bobby doesn’t Bobby like great leaders don’t have to speak. If there’s nothing to say, they’re not going to speak. but he comes up here and when he’s in front of you guys, he has a message. He has a purpose for why he’s um in front of the team and um I think he does a great job in terms of just making sure that we’re all on the same page that there is clarity moving forward. And that messaging is um is consistent not just in the team meeting, but also how he’s handling things outside of here and how we’re going to operate um as a team at practice in our meetings um and that standard set by by him every single day. What about the connection to the players? That’s part of that. Yeah, it is. I think there’s a I mean I have I have maybe I have rarely been up in the you know coaches offices and seen his door close. Um you know I think that’s uh this thing like like guys want to go up and ask questions. They want to be around their coaches and be able you know figure things out and you know Mike’s door is open. He wants to be around guys. He’s out there in the hallways and um you know the access isn’t turned off. So um I think that goes a long way in terms of being able to connect with guys when there is so much on his play as a head coach. um doing the defensive stuff, but also as a head coach in general where you got you’re handling a lot of logistical stuff as well. So, um he’s never gonna turn down conversation. Back to what Aaron was asking you about about having like a super productive season as a receiver. Do you ever have to like fight your own expectations or outside expectations? Like I’ve gone for 100 yards in five straight weeks. Like is there a added pressure to produce? Oh, I don’t know. I mean I I you talking about like with jacks like when I think for anyone anyone coming here I mean I don’t know what how other people feel pressure like I don’t think you there’s no point in having why would you let someone else’s expectations like add any pressure to yourself you know like you’re the one that has done the preparation you’re the one that’s going to be out there on the field doing the work like you you are the one that should have the expectations and um you know any pressure that comes outside of that that’s wasted, you know. So, um, so I’d say no. The short answer is no. Like, you just got to be able have expectations for yourself of what you’re going to go do. And the expectation is to be every single play to execute what’s asked of you. And then when you come back to the huddle, you’re going to go do the same thing again, you know, and so, um, if you’re letting outside stuff, you know, cloud you in any way, um, I think you’re wasting energy. If I remember correctly, you came within 100 yards or so of Calvin Johnson’s record. Do you do you remember thinking about that at any point during the season and striving for that? No, I mean I like you have to do press conferences and get asked about it, but it wasn’t ever something that I I had no idea where I was at in that game or anything. Um, you know, like I said said, like after the season, you look back on it and see where things were at and and what it was. Um, but you know, in the moment, it’s like it just you’re just so in invested in the moment. you’re invested in like what is important right now which is executing my job and so um not something that really enters your enters your mind. You guys um you know uh had an opportunity to kind of close out the Jaguars a few times and then the Texans a few times and didn’t seem to always actually finish the job uh there. So have you noticed anything about why or or what you guys could do better in those situations? Yeah, I mean it comes down to execution at the end of the day. It it does. I mean, we can’t you you just got to be able to make the plays when they’re there for you. Um, and don’t do the stupid things that make you go backwards or turn the ball over and um and we’ve done that in both those times where it’s like, man, we’ve got an opportunity to to end it right here. And if it’s it’s just there’s there’s no I think there’s the thing that you get in that that those moments there’s no push. There’s not like you don’t don’t feel any extra added pressure. We talked about like it’s just like go exit your job, right? Like forget about anything else. Let’s let’s let’s let’s just worry about this play right now, doing your job the best you possibly can. And if we can just string those together, like, man, you’re you’re going to win a lot of games. Um so, you know, it’s it’s not like uh it’s not rocket science rocket science um in those places. Just doing what we know we can do. Anything else, guys? Awesome. May sh you.

Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp shares insights on the team’s performance and dynamics. He emphasizes the importance of continuous growth and improvement throughout the season (0:02). Kupp discusses the team’s offensive progress and the need for adaptability (2:11). He highlights the importance of maintaining focus and engagement during games, especially when facing defensive strategies (7:02). Kupp commends quarterback Sam Darnold’s preparation and communication skills (8:16). He also speaks positively about head coach Mike Macdonald’s leadership and accessibility to players (9:25). Kupp stresses the importance of personal expectations over external pressures (11:04) and emphasizes execution in closing out games (12:54).

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