Sunday night brings a familiar rivalry to its highest possible stage. The Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams meet in the NFC Championship Game with no margin for error. A win sends one of them to the Super Bowl. A loss ends everything.
The path here has been tight all season. Seattle and Los Angeles split their regular-season meetings, each protecting home turf by the slimmest of gaps. That balance has defined the NFC West race and now frames a final showdown where familiarity offers no comfort.
The Seahawks put on a celebration that left everyone stunned
What adds extra intrigue is the presence of Cooper Kupp on the Seattle sideline. For eight seasons, Kupp was a cornerstone of the Rams offense. This year, he returned to Washington after signing with the Seahawks, setting up a playoff meeting that feels personal even if he refuses to treat it that way.
Kupp’s history with Los Angeles is impossible to ignore. During the Rams’ Super Bowl run four years ago, he delivered one of the most dominant seasons ever by a wide receiver.He led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns that year, capped by a Super Bowl MVP performance alongside quarterback Matthew Stafford.
“No, you take things one day at a time…I mean, I’ve touched on this a little bit, but we all have a story. All these guys here that will step on this field, they’ve all had a story to get them to this point. They’ve all had a journey to what this year’s been for them, what the last few years have been to come to this point…
Cooper Kupp keeps the focus on the locker room
This week, though, Kupp has been careful to steer the conversation away from revenge or sentiment. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he framed the matchup as one chapter in a much larger team story. Every player, he said, arrives at this moment through a different path, and his happens to intersect with a former employer.
He acknowledged the unusual circumstances but stressed that his role is no bigger than anyone else wearing a Seahawks uniform. What matters, in his view, is execution and collective purpose. That message has resonated inside a Seattle locker room that has quietly rebuilt itself into a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Kupp also spoke about the deeper motivation that drives him now. Playing for teammates, for coaches, and for the work put in throughout the season has taken priority over any personal narrative. It is a perspective that has defined his career, even during his peak years in Los Angeles.
“Mine is just one of 50, 53 that are gonna be on that field. And in my story, this is an unbelievable storyline, the chances that it ends up being what it is, and I’m really excited about that. But this is the Seahawks going into an NFC Championship Game and trying to get the job done…
Sunday’s game will test that mindset. The Rams know Kupp better than anyone, while the Seahawks trust him to deliver in the biggest moments. Past success, old colors, and shared memories will all be present, but none of it will decide the outcome.
What will decide it is which team handles the pressure, controls the details, and earns the right to keep playing. For Kupp, the silence is over. Now comes the game that connects everything he has been and everything Seattle hopes to become.
