Only 1 week removed from seeing a season high 21 targets in his team’s 26-20 loss to the Detroit Lions, it appears as though Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp is set to miss a significant chunk of time.
Kupp suffered a sprained ankle in his team’s Week 2 throttling against division rival Arizona and will now be out for “an extended period of time” according to head coach Sean McVay. The injury is one the Rams can ill afford given the fact that their already thin receiver room will also be without sophomore Puka Nacua as well.
Indeed the 2024 NFL campaign has been a house of horrors on the injury front for the Rams thus far. Already without offensive linemen Steve Avila (sprained MCL), and Joe Noteboom (high ankle sprain), guard Jonah Jackson is now expected to be placed on injured reserve, as is safety John Johnson III who both picked up shoulder injuries as well.
“The amount of moving parts that we’ve had offensive line-wise has been wild,” McVay said. “And that’s such an important spot to be able to get a rapport with the guy that you’re playing next to.”
A small reprieve in the form of tackle Alaric Jackson, who was suspended for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, is on the way. However that will do little to help a wide receiving group which will now rely on Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, Tutu Atwell, and rookie Jordan Whittington for the foreseeable future.
Across what essentially amounts to 1.5 games, Kupp saw 27 targets, bringing in 18 of those for 147 receiving yards and 1 TD. Through two weeks of action, the 31 year old was operating at an absurd 36% target share rate, which is 2nd in the NFL behind only New York’s Malik Nabers.
After leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 2021, Kupp has failed to log a full season since, suiting up for only 9 games in 2022, and 12 last year.
Los Angeles plays host to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday September 22nd as the club looks to climb out of the 0-2 hole they find themselves in to start the year.
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