Cooper Kupp injury update: Sean McVay hopeful Rams WR can return Week 5 vs. Eagles

The Los Angeles Rams reaped the benefits of having Matthew Stafford on the football field in Week 1. They’re still patiently waiting for Cooper Kupp. Kupp suffered a setback with a hamstring injury that occurred during the preseason when it looked as if he’d be ready during the season opener. Instead, the Rams put Kupp on injured reserve — leaving him out at least the first four games. 

Rams head coach Sean McVay is banking that Kupp can make his season debut in Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

“We are hopeful about that,” McVay told reporters, via a Rams transcript. “I want to be careful to say, but the reason that we put him on IR was so that you know if it’s going to be those four weeks that he’s mandated to be able to miss and then we can take him off of the IR and be available for that fifth week. That was the reason that we made that decision that we did last week because you don’t know what’s going to really come up.”

Kupp hasn’t played a football game since Week 10 of last season, a year which he finished with 75 catches fro 812 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. The season prior, Kupp became the only player to ever record 2,000 receiving yards in a season in the 102-year history of the NFL (including postseason). He finished the 2021 season averaging 115.5 yards per game, joining Calvin Johnson (122.8), Julio Jones (116.9) and Jerry Rice (115.5) as the only players to average more than 115 receiving yards per game in a season in NFL history. 

Kupp won the receiving triple crown, becoming the fourth player since the merger to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in a season. The Rams have missed Kupp’s presence, making the performances of Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua even more important. 

Both Atwell and Nacua had 119 receiving yards in the Week 1 victory. Adding Kupp to that equation could be lethal. 

“It doesn’t put a timetable on really rushing him back, allowing him to be able to go throughout a thorough process,” McVay said. “He’s so conscientious and I think he wanted to be out there so bad that sometimes it’s, all right, well let’s protect you from you because you’re such an elite competitor. 

“I want to be careful to put the cart before the horse that they say, but I’m hopeful about that.”