Is there any wide receiver in the NFL who has a higher usage rate than Cooper Kupp with the Los Angeles Rams? The former third-round pick out of Eastern Washington has already amassed 72 targets, 56 catches, and 607 yards heading into his team's contest against the San Francisco 49ers, marks that rank third, second, and fifth league-wide despite having already been on a Bye, and is all but surely destined to make his second-straight Pro Bowl when the season comes to an end… unless he misses significant time due to injury.
That's right, after a strong showing in the Rams' first six games of the season, Kupp saw his momentum dashed considerably in Week 8, when, after picking up 79 yards in the air on eight receptions and 10 more as a rusher, he suffered an apparent ankle injury with roughly a minute left to play before having to leave the field with a slight limp. Fans feared the worst, his teammates looked on with disgust, and Sean McVay opted to finish off the game with few Matthew Stafford kneels to avoid adding further injury to insult.
When asked about the decision to not only keep Kupp in the game but target him on a seemingly inconsequential play at the end of the game, McVay asserted that he made a mistake, as passed along by Andrew Holleran of The Spun.
“Not sure. That’s why you wanted to try to be smart getting out of the game. And I’m kicking myself for not running the football again,” McVay said in his press conference. “But, I’m hopeful that he’s OK. It looked like it was his ankle when I was out there with [team physician] Dr. [Neil] ElAttrache.”
Fortunately for McVay, it certainly sounds like his curious play-calling decision might not haunt the team long-term, as Kupp himself believes he might have dodged a bullet in the injury department.
Cooper Kupp —
Looked like a possible right ankle injury, hard to tell as he’s getting rolled up on.
But was talking with trainers with his right foot up on his helmet.
Walked off without assistance, just a slight limp. Probably minor. https://t.co/bqAJzS7RJZ— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) October 30, 2022
Cooper Kupp hopes to be back on the field for the Los Angeles Rams soon.
Speaking with reporters about his status post-game, Kupp assured those listening that he might have “dodged a bullet” at the end of the game, which would be good news indeed, as the Rams rely on their possession slot receiver more than seemingly any other player in the NFL, as passed along by Arash Markazi of The Sporting Tribune.
“I’m feeling alright right now, Kupp told the media. “We’ll know more, you know, in the next few days when we figure out what’s going on but I’m feeling pretty good right now.”
“You know, right now, everything’s pointing towards me dodging a bullet, so hopefully that’s the case as we move forward, but like I said, I feel pretty good right now.”
Who knows, maybe Kupp's being overly optimistic; maybe he'll be diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain a la his Week 7 opponent, Elijah Mitchell, and will be out of action for anywhere from 4-8 weeks, depending on the severity. But then again, Kupp doesn't really miss games, as he's only been inactive for two regular season games since the start of the 2019 NFL season; if he really believes he “dodged a bullet,” maybe he really did, and the Los Angeles Rams will have him back on the field in Week 9 when they travel to Tampa Bay to take on Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. If that happens, expect to see another big game from number 10, as that's about all he does at this stage of the game.
Cooper Kupp: “I feel pretty good right now.” He thinks he dodged a bullet with his injury at the end of the game. pic.twitter.com/MENQLVRpHn
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 30, 2022
Follow Us
Subscribe