Cooper Kupp's injury is a potentially devastating blow to the Rams
The Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl hangover is turning into a curse.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, star wide receiver Cooper Kupp, coming back from a season-ending ankle injury last season, will miss time as he recovers from a hamstring. While he could return “for scrimmages in a few weeks,” the team has no plans to rush him back on the field.
Perhaps no team in football is as reliant on one skill position player as Los Angeles is on Kupp. He was healthy for the team's first nine games last season and the team averaged 214.6 passing yards per game. In the final eight games he missed, the Rams averaged 147.1 yards through the air.
Los Angeles went 5-12 last year, the worst record by a defending Super Bowl champion. Quarterback Matthew Stafford also missed eight games, leading to the team's disappointing quest for a repeat.
He is healthy and according to some people in the NFL, is also a top-10 quarterback entering the season. Aaron Donald is still the best defensive player in the league. The Rams are talented in important areas, but Kupp is likely needed for Los Angeles to return to respectability.
The run offense which ranked 27th last year doesn't appear to be in much better shape entering 2023. Stafford's other weapons in the passing game are serviceable but unspectacular.
Jefferson, Skoworonek, Atwell and Robinson combined for 129 receptions, 1,501 yards and six touchdowns last season. Nacua was drafted in the fifth round (177th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft.
In 2021, Kupp led the league with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Last year, he was on pace for 141 receptions, 1,533 yards and 11 touchdowns before his injury ended his season.
His Super Bowl-winning catch is the last pleasant memory for the Rams. They haven't had anything to celebrate in the 18 months since. Depending on how long Kupp is sidelined, they won't have a reason to anytime soon.
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