Jerome Bettis makes a prediction on Matthew Stafford's future with the Los Angeles Rams Photo by Mike Ehrmann/NFLPhotoLibrary)
Most people remember Jerome Bettis for his legendary career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it all began with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Hall of Fame running back was selected by the Rams with the 10th overall selection in the 1993 NFL Draft and spent his first two seasons in Los Angeles. The stout running back known for his 250-plus pound frame won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in '93 and went to back-to-back Pro Bowls during his first two seasons in the league.
The current Rams are coming off of an impressive season with a surprising NFC West division crown and a playoff win after starting out the season 4-5. However, they're facing an offseason of potential major turnover due to their decision to move on from Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp.
While the decision to shop Kupp may have surprised some, it doesn't surprise Bettis at all. In fact, he believes they're a year late when it comes to trading Kupp.
“I think they're really a year late,” said Bettis in a one-on-one interview with RG on behalf of his partnership with PXG. “They're a year late on that. They wanted to make that decision, they wanted to make that move last year. But they were lukewarm with it. Now, they're public with it. They're a year late.”
Kupp is one of the biggest figures in franchise history due to his role in leading the Rams to a Super Bowl victory at the conclusion of the 2021 season. Not only did Kupp win Super Bowl MVP, he became just the fourth receiver since the NFL-AFL merger to lead the league in all three major receiving categories.
However, he's on the verge of turning 32 years ago, he's been on a statistical decline in recent years and most importantly, second-year receiver Puka Nacua has emerged as the top guy. That negates the Rams' need for Kupp, says Bettis.
“Teams have to make a decision,” said Bettis.
"If you've got your guy, then you don't need the other guy. I think Cooper Kupp was the guy, and then Puka Nacua came and became the new guy. Now you've got two guys and you don't need them both. It's smart to get off of the other guy and it's understandable. I don't think it's such a crazy thing.”
Bettis makes it clear that this is not a “purge” or a “changing philosophies” situation. It's a simple matter of business and personnel where the Rams have a bigger, better version in Nacua that can run the same plays while trading Kupp while he still has value.
“I don't think it's a purge or him changing philosophies,” said Bettis. “They've got the guy. They don't need to pay two guys a big amount to do the same thing. You have two guys that play the same position, right? They do the same thing. You don't need the redundancy.”
The 52-year-old running back makes it clear the Rams are simply moving on with the “next guy” in Nacua.
Kupp isn't the only Rams star who could be on the move, as quarterback Matthew Stafford's future in Los Angeles is uncertain. The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback's future is uncertain due to his $49.6 million cap figure for the 2025 season.
Stafford said he's “healthy” and feeling good after starting in 16 games this past season, with his only absence being in the final week of the season as a healthy scratch. It doesn't appear the 37-year-old is retiring.
While there are many teams being linked in the Stafford sweepstakes, Bettis believes both sides will come to a resolution and bring back the veteran quarterback for a fifth season in Los Angeles.
“Yes," Bettis answered when asked if the Rams will bring back Stafford in 2025. “They bring back Stafford because a championship quarterback is like a needle in a haystack. If you don't have the succession plan figured out, you've got to bring him back.”
DJ Siddiqi
