Cooper Kupp Breaks Silence After Seattle Seahawks’ Loss To Chicago Bears

Cooper Kupp shared a message on Instagram following the Seattle Seahawks' defeat to the Chicago Bears.© X/@AdamSchefter

Cooper Kupp had barely finished helping the Seattle Seahawks get back into Monday night's game when another defeat exposed how much work remained for the defending champions. His fourth-quarter touchdown briefly gave Seattle hope against the Chicago Bears, but the comeback never materialized. A day after the 34-17 loss, the veteran wide receiver returned to social media with a short message. Behind those three words, however, was a team searching for answers after an unusually difficult night on offense.

Seattle Seahawks face questions after Cooper Kupp's message

"Back to work," Kupp wrote on Instagram, sharing a collection of pictures from the game at Lumen Field. The message came as Seattle prepared for a quick turnaround before Sunday's meeting with the Arizona Cardinals.

His postgame comments offered a better picture of what went wrong against Chicago. Kupp did not hide his frustration with the offense's inability to sustain drives, particularly when the Seahawks needed to put their defense under less pressure.

"Way too many three-and-outs," Kupp said. "Way too many short drives."

Seattle converted just one of its 11 third-down attempts, leaving Sam Darnold with little room to settle into the game. The Chicago defense mixed its coverage looks, brought pressure and forced the quarterback into difficult situations.

Kupp believed the receiving group could have done more, too. He explained that when Darnold escaped the pocket, receivers needed to spread out and give him additional passing options. Even if the original route broke down, they had to find ways to help their quarterback extend plays.

That responsibility became more noticeable with Jaxon Smith-Njigba carrying much of the passing attack. The other receivers needed to make their opportunities count rather than leave the offense dependent on one player.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba carried Seattle's passing attack against Chicago

Smith-Njigba finished with six catches for 118 yards and a 43-yard touchdown. He accounted for nearly two-thirds of Darnold's passing production, while no other Seattle receiver recorded more than 26 receiving yards.

The lack of support around him was a major problem for an offense that had looked far more comfortable during its previous win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Seattle's struggles extended beyond the passing game. Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet combined for just 52 rushing yards on 16 carries in their returns from injury. The offensive line adjusting to Quenton Nelson's arrival in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts, while Charles Cross missed the game through injury.

Head coach Mike Macdonald acknowledged the urgency after the defeat. "The sense of urgency for us to improve right now is high," he said.

The Seahawks also wasted opportunities through special teams mistakes, including a missed extra point and a blocked field goal. Their defense had allowed Chicago to produce several long scoring drives, making the offensive struggles even harder to overcome.