The Los Angeles Rams will be without Cooper Kupp for a while.
Rams head coach Sean McVay announced Monday that Kupp will be out “a good amount of time” due to a left ankle sprain that he sustained during the Rams’ 41-10 lopsided loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2.
Kupp, safety John Johnson (shoulder) and guard Jonah Jackson (shoulder) all suffered injuries against Arizona. McVay said there’s a possibility that all three players could land on injured reserve.
“We’ve had some unfortunate breaks, and it’s happened really early, and it’s definitely nothing that I’ve been exposed to,” McVay said. “This is unique.”
Kupp was injured after his fourth reception when he was tackled by Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson and cornerback Starling Thomas late in the first half. He didn’t return in the second half due to the ankle injury.
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The injury marks the third time Kupp’s dealt with injuries to his lower extremities in as many seasons. He injured his ankle in 2022 and dealt with a nagging hamstring last year.
Kupp’s injury is another big blow to an already depleted Rams wide receiver room. The Rams placed wideout Puka Nacua on injured reserve after Nacua injured his knee in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Kupp and Nacua are the Rams’ best two receivers, and they both went down to injuries within the first two weeks of the regular season.
Wide receivers TylerJohnson, Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell will be asked to step up in the absence of the team’s two leading receivers.
Kupp led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches on the way to winning the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2021. The wideout was instrumental during the team’s 2021 title run and was named Super Bowl 56 MVP.
The Rams are 0-2 for the first time under McVay and are off to their worst start since 2011. The team faces the San Francisco 49ers at home in Week 3.
“You just have to acknowledge the reality of the situation. You feel for your teammates, but you know it’s about how do we really put together a good week of preparation. How do we start to establish a rhythm and a rapport with the guys that are playing. And you hope that we are able to stay healthy to be able to continue to build on that and to put quality football out there,” McVay said. “We’re capable of playing much better quality football on both sides of the football.”