The Los Angeles Rams already had their work cut out for them in Week 1 heading on the road to take on their NFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks. Things got even tougher now that they will officially be without star wide receiver, Cooper Kupp.
Kupp was ruled out by head coach Sean McVay on Wednesday because of a hamstring injury that was originally suffered on August 1st. But, as he was ramping up his activity, he suffered a setback last week, which has not put his status for the next few weeks in jeopardy.
The All-Pro wide receiver went to visit a specialist in Minnesota earlier this week to get to the root of the problem. Not wanting to rush him back and make the injury worse, the Rams are erring on the side of caution early in the season.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford recently spoke about how much Kupp will be missed. He is a major part of the team’s game plan and has been Stafford’s first, second and third option more often than not.
“No question about it, from a skills standpoint, there’s a lot of stuff that goes through Cooper,” Stafford shared to the media. “He may be designed to be the No. 1 or if we get a certain pressure, we’re just going to get this play and let him go do what he does best.”
Not having Kupp in the lineup is a huge loss for the Rams. He is by far their best playmaker offensively and there isn’t any established, reliable depth behind him. The closest that Los Angeles has to that is Van Jefferson, who is followed by Tutu Atwell and rookie Puka Nacua on the depth chart.
While they are not household names, Stafford is confident in that group. He believes they can get the job done and hold down the fort until Kupp is healthy enough to return.
“But my job doesn’t change much. It’s go out and throw the ball where it’s supposed to be throwed. And let those guys do what they do because we have some talented guys on the outside who can make plays both down the field and after the catch. So I’m excited,” Stafford said. (H/T Heavy)
The Rams receivers will certainly have their work cut out for them going against a talented Seahawks secondary. Second-year star Tariq Woolen and safety Quandre Diggs were both Pro Bowlers in 2022 and the team added cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the mix.
