Oct 6, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Jaguars coach Liam Coen heaps on praise for Seahawks vet Cooper Kupp

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Though Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp's time with the Los Angeles Rams is well behind him now, the memories and relationships he made over his eight years in the City of Angels will last a lifetime.

For perhaps the first time this season, he'll get to reconnect with one of the coaches who meant so much to him in Los Angeles.

On Sunday, the Seahawks will travel to face the red-hot Jacksonville Jaguars and first-year head coach Liam Coen, who previously worked with the Rams as an assistant wide receivers coach (2018-19), assistant quarterbacks coach (2020) and offensive coordinator (2022). Kupp might've dealt with injuries throughout much of Coen's time in Los Angeles, but he was still instrumental in helping the star wideout become the player he is today.

Apparently, that mentorship goes both ways. During Wednesday's press conference, Coen explained just how much Kupp means to him and how the wideout helped him develop as a coach.

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"Cooper, I almost named my son Cooper, so that's how much respect I have for him," Coen told reporters. "He has sent me texts throughout my career, whether I was with the Rams, at Kentucky, in Tampa or here, randomly all different points, just, 'thinking about you, hope you're doing great, proud of you.' Definitely more than just a player-coach relationship. I learned so much more from him and guys like Matthew [Stafford], I learned so much more from them than I think I ever could've given them as a coach.

"His understanding of all 11 on the field, his understanding of the run scheme, blocking assignments in the run game, his understanding of the quarterback's timing and rhythm, progressions, reads, coverage... he's the smartest football player that I've ever really worked with for an extended period of time. I've obviously worked with a lot of really good pros, but can't say enough good things about Cooper and the type of man that he is."

“I almost named my son Cooper…”#Jaguars HC Liam Coen is a huge fan of Seahawks (former Rams) WR Cooper Kupp, having worked with him over the years. Beyond football. pic.twitter.com/7r94kCj9td
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) October 8, 2025

Coen, one of the youngest head coaches in the NFL at 39 years old, is looking to be a great hire for the Jaguars, as he has them at 4-1 following a thrilling win over the Kansas City Chiefs on "Monday Night Football." While his success is a surprise to many, Kupp probably saw it coming well in advance.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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