Rams' Cooper Kupp Wins 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp bucked the odds to win the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year.

The 28-year-old is the second wideout in three years to collect the honor after the New Orleans Saints' Michael Thomas topped the voting in 2019. But the position has been overlooked for the most part in the award's history. Jerry Rice is the only other receiver to be recognized as the Offensive Player of the Year.

Kupp had some tough competition to overcome.

No quarterback was more prolific than Tom Brady. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star threw for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers might be on his way to a second straight MVP after throwing for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns and seven interceptions while helping to guide his team to the NFC's top seed.

Jonathan Taylor amassed more yards from scrimmage than any other player. The Indianapolis Colts running back ran for 1,811 yards and caught 40 passes for 360 yards, scoring 20 total touchdowns.

But Kupp is a deserving winner. The 2021 Pro Bowler finished just short of a single-season record by catching 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns.

His total numbers were inflated slightly by the addition of a 17th game, but his 114.5 receiving yards per contest were the 10th most ever.

The strong-armed Matthew Stafford proved to be the perfect partner through the air.

Kupp's breakout couldn't have come at a much better time, either. He's due to collect a $14.8 million salary in 2022 before entering the final year of his three-year, $47.3 million extension with Los Angeles.

If the Eastern Washington product wants to renegotiate his contract, he'll have a lot of leverage after proving his value to the Rams this past season.