Wide receiver Cooper Kupp will not be active in Week 1. Sean McVay broke the news and shared an update on the star receiver, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic.
“Not much more information…just dealing with some soft tissue stuff,” McVay said.
Kupp's absence in Week 1 isn't surprising. However, the Rams also reportedly did not rule out the possibility of Kupp landing on the injured reserve, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Rams: Cooper Kupp out for Week 1
Kupp is one of the best receivers in the NFL when healthy. He endured injury trouble in 2022 and that trend has unfortunately continued into the early portion of the 2023 season. Kupp has been trying to fully recover from a lingering hamstring injury that just won't seem to go away. After suffering a recent setback, Kupp's status for Week 1 immediately came into question.
Now the only question is whether or not Kupp will be forced to miss an extended period of time and end up landing on the IR. Los Angeles would surely prefer to have him return soon, but right now there are no guarantees as to what the future holds for Kupp.
Prior to only playing in nine games last year, Cooper Kupp had managed to avoid injury concerns for the most part in his career. He made his NFL debut with the Rams in 2017 and appeared in 15 games. After playing in only eight contests in 2018, Kupp appeared in at least 15 games each season from 2019-2021.
He'd always been an impressive receiver, but it was Kupp's 2021 campaign that officially turned him into a superstar. He led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving yards per game. After earning some MVP consideration, Cooper Kupp played a pivotal role in Los Angeles' Super Bowl victory.
The Rams may struggle in 2023, but perhaps a potential Kupp injury return can help save their season. We will continue to monitor and provide updates on Kupp as they are made available.