Rams injured star Kupp to miss games
The Los Angeles Rams are going to be without their most indispensable player on offense for a minimum of four weeks.
Rams head coach Sean McVay announced Tuesday that wide receiver Cooper Kupp has a high ankle sprain that will require surgery. The wideout is scheduled to have a tightrope procedure on his ankle Wednesday.
He will be placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least four games.
The Rams are hopeful Kupp will return this season.
“Let’s just take it a day at a time. Let’s see how the procedure goes (Wednesday) when he gets that done,” McVay said of Kupp. “I don’t think you want to pigeonhole yourself into one approach. But you do know the first step is the surgery and the appropriate steps will be followed after that. That’s kind of where we are right now.”
Kupp injured his ankle early in the fourth quarter when he attempted to catch a high pass from quarterback John Wolford near the Rams sideline. Kupp was undercut by Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson and the wideout landed awkwardly on the turf.
Kupp lay on the sideline in visible pain for a few moments before trainers helped him to the bench with the receiver unable to put any weight on his right leg. He did not return. He had three catches for minus-1 yard at the time of his injury.
Kupp’s injury is a major blow to a Rams team (3-6) that’s had a difficult time on offense. The defending Super Bowl champions rank near the bottom of the league in total offense and points per game. Los Angeles has dropped three straight games and five of its last six. The Rams are last in the NFC West.
Kupp, the 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl 56 MVP, is the team leader in targets (98), receptions (75), receiving yards (812) and touchdown receptions (six) this season. Kupp’s 75 receptions are the second most in the NFL, and he’s accounted for about 33% of the Rams’ receptions. He’s had seven games this year with more than 75 receiving yards.
“He’s arguably the best receiver in the league,” Wolford told reporters. “He’s a great leader for us and we will definitely feel the impact of him not being out there.”
McVay also announced that starting quarterback Matthew Stafford is still in concussion protocol. Stafford missed Week 10 because of the injury.