The 2023 season has been considered a gap year for the Los Angeles Rams by general manager Les Snead. They parted ways with a lot of established talent, releasing or trading numerous veterans to get their salary cap situation fixed.

One of the veterans that the Rams did keep around was wide receiver Cooper Kupp. He, along with quarterback Matthew Stafford and defensive tackle Aaron Donald, are pretty much all that is left from what was once a star-studded roster only a year or two ago.

If the Rams want to have any chance at being competitive during the upcoming season, those guys all need to be healthy and play at a high level. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, that is already not the case.

Kupp has suffered a setback in his return from a hamstring injury. Head coach Sean McVay revealed the brutal news on Thursday, saying the star receiver is now considered day-to-day. “I think we just take it a day at a time right now,” McVay said. “We want to be able to get him back right. We’re obviously a much better team when he’s available.”

This was an injury that Kupp originally suffered on August 1st. He returned only last week to practice with the team and was optimistic that he would be in the lineup in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. Alas, that is now in peril with the latest update of a setback.

“There’s a difference between return to play and return to performance,” McVay said. “We want return to performance for Cooper Kupp. We know how special a player, special of a person, and so we want to make sure we are smart with that and getting him back to feeling like the Cooper Kupp we all know and that he’s able to play the way that he’s capable of, whenever that is. Whether that is Sept. 10th or not, we’ll continue to monitor that and control what we can control.”

Kupp ended the 2022 season on IR after suffering a high ankle sprain which required surgery. It was the second major injury of his career, as he also tore his ACL. When healthy, he is one of the best pass catchers in the NFL. During the 2021 season, he accomplished the receiver triple crown, leading the league in receptions, yards and touchdowns.

If Kupp is unable to go in Week 1, the Rams receiving corps around Stafford will be uninspiring. Ben Skowronek is listed as his backup, while Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell are listed as the two other starters along with Kupp.