The Seattle Times Seahawks on Cooper Kupp

ArticleSeahawks on ‘Hard Knocks’: What we learned from first episode
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One scene shows Kupp attending a quarterbacks meeting led by offensive passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz, who then tells Kupp that "you're responsible for any coaching points in your room (the receiver room) that get said in here." Another scene shows Kupp watching film with Macdonald and Kupp having apparently shown something to the coach on film he hadn't seen earlier. "Why didn't I think of that?" Macdonald exclaims.

STACKED’s take

Positive signalRole

Kupp's coaching influence and early camp production validate his value beyond stats.

Hard Knocks illustrated Kupp's outsized influence beyond his statistical production. Offensive passing game coordinator Jake Peetz told Kupp he was "responsible for any coaching points in your room (the receiver room) that get said here," a responsibility not given to every player. Kupp was shown watching film with coach Mike Macdonald and pointing out something the coach hadn't noticed, prompting Macdonald to exclaim "Why didn't I think of that?" Kupp also played peacemaker during practice fights, helping pull Derick Hall away. Despite career-low statistical numbers last season and entering his 10th season at age 33 with a $17.4 million cap hit, Kupp's value extends far beyond numbers. He has been off to a strong start in camp, catching two passes that keyed a scoring drive for the No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense in 11-on-11 competition Tuesday, including a TD reception from Sam Darnold.

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