2023 could be a difficult season for the Los Angeles Rams. They had to purge their roster this offseason because of salary cap implications and lost a lot of talent. Now, things could get a little bit tougher as one of their stars has suffered an injury.
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp had to undergo an MRI on his hamstring after exiting practice early on Tuesday. While no official diagnosis has been shared, the Rams are going to take things slowly and exhibit caution. Cooper Kupp gets MRI after leaving Rams practice, source says – ESPN, Kupp could be back in a few weeks for scrimmages.
After about 30 minutes into what was expected to be a two-hour practice session, Kupp was seen walking off of the field with the training staff. Players and coaches didn’t see what happened, but head coach Sean McVay was told Kupp “came up a little bit in a red zone route.“
“Obviously, we’re much better when he’s here, and we hope he’s going to be OK,” McVay said. “If he’s not, we’ll see what happens, but the practice had to go on.”
Kupp was working his way back this offseason from an ankle injury that ended his 2022 campaign prematurely. He suffered a high ankle sprain that required surgery and caused him to miss the final eight games of the season.
Prior to the injury, Kupp was on pace for another monster season. In nine games he caught 75 passes for 812 yards and six touchdowns. He was the only player Matthew Stafford had any chemistry with in the passing game, which was ugly once Kupp was sidelined.
This injury is a brutal one, especially if it lingers into the regular season. There aren’t many key contributors left from the Rams’ Super Bowl 56 victory. Los Angeles’ offense is also lacking established weapons beyond Kupp, so being without him for an extended period of time would be detrimental to the team’s success.
“I just want to know what’s going on,” Stafford said. “That’s the main thing, and I’ll figure that out at some point. But I trust our guys, and whatever is going on, I know he’ll do everything he can to work through whatever is going on and be back out here whenever it’s the right time.”
Without Kupp in the lineup, Van Jefferson could be Stafford’s No. 1 target in the passing game. Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell follow him on the depth chart.
