NFL locals: Cooper Kupp has disappointing return to Los Angeles
It was an underwhelming week for locally produced NFL players. For Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), it was a disappointing return to the city that launched his pro career.
The first-year Seattle receiver managed just 23 yards on three catches and seven targets in his first game back in Los Angeles since he was released by the Rams this offseason. The Seahawks fell 21-19 against their NFC West foes.
Kupp made a name for himself in L.A., recording 7,776 yards and 57 touchdowns over eight seasons with the Rams. He led the team to a Super Bowl championship in 2021-22, collecting the game’s MVP honors to go with his NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.
But Kupp hasn’t produced the way Seahawks fans were hoping when the Yakima native signed with his home-state franchise in March. For the season, he has registered 390 yards and one touchdown on 29 catches. Kupp has started every game this year.
• Abraham Lucas (WSU) played every snap at right tackle for Seattle.
The fourth-year pro threw a strong block to open a lane for running back Kenneth Walker III on a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:23 left in the game.
Lucas, a third-round draft pick in 2022, ranks 21st among tackles this season, according to Pro Football Focus’ grading system. He has allowed three sacks all year. The Everett native signed a three-year contract extension this offseason.
• Frankie Luvu (WSU), a team captain at linebacker for Washington, tallied five tackles, including a goal-line stop, during the Commanders’ 16-13 overtime loss to Miami in Spain.
It’s been a bit of a down year for the eighth-year vet, an All-Pro last season, but he looked like the star Luvu of 2024 on a third-and-goal play from the Commanders’ 2-yard line in the third quarter. Luvu shed a block and popped Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II at the line of scrimmage for no gain. On the next play, fellow Washington linebacker Bobby Wagner, the former Seahawk, broke up a pass to force a turnover on downs.
• Daiyan Henley (WSU), a team captain at linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers, totaled five tackles, but it was a disappointing day for the former All-Pac-12 performer and the L.A. defense as a whole.
The Jaguars’ ground game diced through L.A.’s front seven, piling up 192 rushing yards during a 35-6 rout of the Chargers.
• Jaylen Watson (WSU), a starting cornerback for Kansas City, logged three tackles and received a shout-out from CBS announcer Tony Romo during the Chiefs’ 22-19 loss to Denver.
Romo said on the broadcast that he believes Watson is a Pro Bowl-caliber player. A seventh-round draft pick in 2022, Watson showed encouraging signs early in his career and now has developed into a key cog for the Chiefs’ defense.
Watson had a tough finish against Denver, however, giving up a 32-yard reception to Troy Franklin with under a minute left. That put the Broncos in field-goal range, and they wound up walking it off with a field goal as time expired.
• Jaden Hicks (WSU), a strong safety for Kansas City, played only 12 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, and recorded one tackle.
Hicks, a fourth-round draft pick in 2024, has seen his role decrease significantly in recent weeks after he started two of the first three games this season.
• Cam Ward (WSU), Tennessee’s rookie quarterback, completed 24 of 37 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown, and lost a fumble during the Titans’ 16-13 loss to Houston.
Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, posted his best QBR in a game this season (58.9). He added 33 yards on three carries and was sacked three times, pushing his NFL-leading total to 41 sacks taken.
Ward lost a fumble on a sack early in the fourth quarter, but led an 11-play, 95-yard scoring drive late in the game, finding Van Jefferson for a 4-yard touchdown with 1:35 remaining to tie the score, but the Texans responded with a walk-off field goal to send Tennessee to 1-9. Ward went 6 of 8 for 63 yards with a 20-yard carry on that possession.
For the season, Ward has passed for 1,954 yards and six touchdowns with six interceptions on a 58.4% completion rate.
• Jalen Thompson (WSU), a longtime starter at strong safety for Arizona, received the fourth-best Pro Football Focus grade among defenders (76.5) in the Cardinals’ 41-22 loss to San Francisco.
Thompson, who played all 55 defensive snaps, recorded five tackles.
• Chau Smith-Wade (WSU), a cornerback for Carolina, came off the bench to record three tackles during the Panthers’ 30-27 overtime win against Atlanta.
Smith-Wade, a fifth-round draft pick in 2024, appeared on 15 of 66 defensive snaps.
• Kendrick Bourne (EWU) started at wide receiver for San Francisco, but appeared on only 13 offensive snaps and did not record any stats during the win over Arizona.
Despite his lack of production Sunday, Bourne still ranks first among 49ers wide receivers with 482 yards on the season.
• Kaden Elliss (Idaho), a standout linebacker for Atlanta, made a fourth-down stop but also gave up a late touchdown catch in the Falcons’ overtime loss against Carolina.
On a fourth-and-1 play in the third quarter from the Falcons’ 8-yard line, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young rolled right and looked to pass. Elliss had the target covered up, so Young tucked it and tried to run for the first, but the former Vandals star crashed down and wrapped up the QB for a sack.
With just over a minute remaining, Elliss got lost in single coverage against star Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who hauled in a 12-yard touchdown to put Carolina up 27-24.
Elliss finished with five tackles, the sack and a QB hit. On the season, he leads Atlanta with 65 tackles and has 3½ sacks.
• Marcus Harris (Idaho), a rookie cornerback for Tennessee, saw significant action for the second straight game after playing sparingly for the first seven weeks of the season.
Harris didn’t start in the Titans’ loss to Houston, but he was on the field for the second snap of the game and had a considerable role at the nickel corner position, appearing on 50 of 70 defensive snaps. Harris allowed approximately four catches for 30 yards.
The Portland native made his first career start in Tennessee’s last game, a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 2. He gave up one catch for 3 yards and broke up one pass.
Harris spent three years at Idaho, where he earned All-Big Sky first-team recognition in 2023. He played for Cal during his senior year in 2024 and was selected by Tennessee in the sixth round of the 2025 draft.
• Ryan Rehkow (Central Valley) averaged 57 yards on three punts for Cincinnati during a 34-12 loss at Pittsburgh. He had a long punt of 61 yards and landed one inside the 20-yard line. Entering the game, the BYU grad ranked first in the NFL in gross punting average (52.8) and eighth in net yards per punt (42.7).