INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay expects star receiver Cooper Kupp to stay where he is.

McVay criticized media speculation about the possibility of the Rams trading Kupp after the Super Bowl 56 MVP returned from injury in Los Angeles’ 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.

“I think a lot of the things that were out there were just speculation,” McVay said. “I’m really happy to have Cooper Kupp back with us and I expect it to stay that way.”

Kupp had been hit with transfer rumors this week as he neared his return after a four-game absence with an ankle injury. The 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year had five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings in the Rams’ second win in five days (3-4), catapulting them back into NFC West contention.

With McVay’s Rams once again looking like a possible contender, the prospect of trading their top receiver seems less likely. While McVay acknowledged that other teams want the veteran wideout, the coach said he was disappointed by the content of the speculation surrounding Kupp, who has spent McVay’s entire career with the Rams.

“I’m telling you this: The teams have reached out,” McVay said. “Some of the things I’ve seen out there just aren’t true. We discussed this with these people. Teams called about him and we actually told him what the conversation was about. And then there are a lot of things out there where there isn’t a lot of accountability in the reports, and that’s unfortunate.”

Kupp spoke about his future during the short week of preparation and said he had largely ignored the speculation. After making some big plays in a balanced offense against Minnesota, Kupp still wasn’t interested in considering changing teams.

“There’s all that stuff out there, but there’s something cool about all the stuff that’s happening outside of the facility, but in a short week I spent every minute getting ready to come out here and play,” Kupp said . “It gave me an opportunity to focus on being where I am, preparing as best I can and then coming here and letting it sink in.”

Kupp caught a 7-yard TD pass by Matthew Stafford in the second quarter against Minnesota. Then he did it a key 27-yard catch for a first down Late in the fourth quarter as the Rams completed their victory.

Kupp has spent his entire eight-year career with the Rams, but he has played in just 24 of Los Angeles’ 41 games since his career-defining string of performances en route to a championship in the 2021-22 season. Kupp had 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns in the 2021 regular season.

Kupp still has two years left on his contract for a three-year extension worth around $80 million.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL