John Middlekauff#48 of 87 NFL pundits · Feb 5, 2025

Middlekauff says Cooper Kupp's release by the Rams is inevitable because their $20 million salary makes them untradeable at age 31 after injuries.

Said on air or in an interview · The Colin Cowherd Podcast (podcast)Hear the original

100Hit · out of 100

Never on a 53What happenedsettled

0A naive guessthe same call, no knowledge

100This callout of 100

#48John Middlekauff’s rankof 87 ranked NFL pundits

What John Middlekauff said

I think the Rams know what's inevitable, and that is cutting him because you can't even eat enough money to trade him.

Our reading: Cooper Kupp to be cut

Where it was said: The Colin Cowherd Podcast (podcast)
The episode: Colin Cowherd Podcast - Super Bowl Preview, Where Do Chiefs Rank All Time? Luka To The Lakers, Myles Garrett Trade?
The original: Hear the original
Read it wrong?: Tell us and we will look

The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 5, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.

SaidFeb 4, 2025
GradedSep 25, 2026

How the call scored

a naive guessbetter than naive

One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.

It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

The call scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls.

The call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same call; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.

Roster Spot Calls Cooper Kupp Los Angeles Rams
Cooper Kupp to be cut
What happenedNever on a 53
100Hit · naive 0
100this call0a naive guess100better than naive2difficulty+200skill
How this was scored
club:
LAR
skill:
200
player:
Cooper Kupp
season:
2025
claimed:
he does not make the 53
accuracy:
100
baseline:
0
difficulty:
2
the naive guess:
he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
weeks in the season:
18
weeks on the53:
0
weeks left when called:
18
weeks on the practice squad:
0
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Who this take is about

Make your own calls.Pick every open claim on Picks →

Others on the same people

Colin Cowherd · Trade and Signing Calls · Matthew Stafford · Hit 100
Cowherd predicts Matt Stafford stays with the Rams rather than moving on, and says Travis Hunter may underachieve because they're being asked to play both ways — Cowherd doubts they're a No. 1 receiver and would slot them as a No. 2 receiver while being a No. 1 corner.
Colin Cowherd · Trade and Signing Calls · Matthew Stafford · Hit 100
Cowherd believes Matt Stafford's public negotiation posturing means he ultimately stays in Los Angeles, and he flags Travis Hunter as a high draft pick who could underachieve because trying to play both cornerback and receiver full-time will hurt him.
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Chris Simms · Score Predictions · Los Angeles Rams · Hit 93
Simms gave a predicted final score for every Week 9 game, picking the Bengals, Chiefs, Broncos, Lions, Giants, Rams, Cowboys, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Seahawks, Texans, Bears and Bills, and also said they wouldn't be shocked to see Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship Game.
Connor Rogers · Game Outcome Picks · Los Angeles Rams · Hit 100
Rogers picked straight-up winners in every Week 9 game, agreeing with Simms on all of them, and gave a 24-20 Bills score over the Vikings on Monday night.
Jordan Dajani · Score Predictions · Los Angeles Rams · Hit 93
Dajani picked all seven featured Week 9 games with final scores, including a blowout Jaguars win in Baltimore, an Atlanta upset of Cincinnati in Madrid, and a narrow Bills win in Minneapolis.

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Parker Hurley · Roster Spot Calls · Khalid Kareem · Miss 0
Hurley predicts the 49ers will release Khalil Kareem when Nate Hobbs is activated and cut Brandin Cooks when C.J. West returns, while arguing Sebastian Valdez won't be the one let go and no cornerback will be cut.
Jason Harmon · Roster Spot Calls · Max Brosmer · Miss 0
Harmon expects the Vikings' quarterback room to stay intact while Kyler Murray is hurt, and predicts Max Brosmer will be released and re-signed to the practice squad since Minnesota won't carry four QBs.
Chad Jensen · Roster Spot Calls · Jordan Turner · Miss 0
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Charean Williams · Roster Spot Calls · Odell Beckham Jr. · Miss 0
Williams writes that after releasing Odell Beckham Jr. to open a roster spot for Kirk Cousins, the Vikings will bring them back on the practice squad.