The morning after the Los Angeles Rams became Super Bowl champions, wide receiver Cooper Kupp was already asked if they could repeat for next season.
“Certainly,” Kupp said Monday, answering a question at his MVP press conference on if the Rams are capable of repeating as champions. “If you’re going into a season and didn’t think that you can win it all, that would be a pretty depressing place to play from.
"You go into every year believing that, understanding, though, that there’s much work that needs to be done.”
A Super Bowl champion hasn't repeated in back-to-back years since the 2002-2003 New England Patriots.
"So much work that has to be done, so much time, so much effort, so much sacrifice has to go into that," Kupp said. "You certainly go in knowing that's the goal, but like I said we take a one day at a time mindset, dominate every single day (and) hopefully you get presented with the opportunity to go out and play on Sunday for a championship."
While history suggests it's unlikely, the Rams' star-studded roster is set up for longevity. But a lot will hinge on the overhanging questions that surfaced during Super Bowl week and the day of the game, that indicate that coach Sean McVay and defensive tackle Aaron Donald could flirt with the idea of retirement.
“We’ll see," McVay said when asked Monday morning if he'll be back with the Rams for the 2022 season. "I'm just enjoying this moment right now. I'm really happy to be a part of this. Happy for that."
McVay is now the youngest head coach in NFL history to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, though his future in coaching sits in doubt as he remains in a non-committal stance about what 2022 has in store.
“I’m just in the moment right now,” Donald said Sunday night after becoming a Super Bowl champion. “I’m going to enjoy this with my teammates, my family, and I’m just going to be in the moment and enjoy this for today, a couple days.”
While Donald was questioned in the heat of the moment shortly after coming off the field as a world champion, he sidestepped the opportunity to write off the idea of retirement.
The Rams finished the 2021 season winning nine of their final 10 games, including the playoffs. They have their quarterback of the future who's shown to elevate on the big stage of the playoffs and with the salary cap set to go up this offseason, the Rams are in a position to re-sign the bulk of their core players that are set to enter free agency.
More from Ram Digest:
- Rams HC Sean McVay is Focused on Enjoying Championship, Undecided on 2022 Return
- Rams Stars Celebrate Super Bowl Championship at Disneyland
- Rams Set Plans for Super Bowl Parade in Los Angeles
- Rams Turned to Cooper Kupp With Game on the Line to Cap Off Super Bowl LVI Win
- Aaron Donald, Rams Defense Close Out Super Bowl LVI Silencing Bengals Offense in Crunch Time
- Rams' 23-20 Comeback Win Over Bengals in Super Bowl LVI Completes All-In Master Plan
- Super Bowl LVI: Rams vs. Bengals Halftime Report
- Rams' Super Bowl LVI Inactives vs. Bengals
- Rams vs. Bengals Super Bowl Closing Odds: Point Spread, Over/Under, Moneyline
- Top Betting Props to Consider for Super Bowl LVI
Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.
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