The Los Angeles Rams desperately need a spark on offense. Ever since starting wide receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were lost to injury, they’ve lacked an identity and frankly, the game-changing ability that only superstar football players can bring to the game.
Hope was on the horizon ahead of their Week 7 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Cooper Kupp was back to practice, albeit in a limited role, and it was announced that a game-time decision would be made about his status. He was ruled ‘Out’ about an hour before the game.
Cooper Kupp Will Play, But How Much?
But after the game head coach, Sean McVay announced that Kupp would play in the upcoming Thursday Night Football game against the Minnesota Vikings. The news couldn’t come any sooner. The Rams’ offense could barely move the ball against one of the worst defenses in the leagues, putting up just 13 points (seven points were off a defensive score.) Matthew Stafford threw for just 154 yards, the 10th fewest of all the games he has played and his worst for the Los Angeles Rams.
While McVay was unequivocal about Kupp’s status for the game, what he left uncertain was how much Kupp would play in his first game back in action since Week 2 after suffering a high ankle sprain.
Senior staff writer for the Rams, Stu Jackson reported via X.com that according to McVay, Kupp’s workload for Thursday Night Football vs. Vikings is “to be determined.”
“That’ll be something that as we’re putting it together and really diving into it, we’ll have a better feel for,” McVay said. “But definitely excited to have him back.”
The Rams are often conservative when onboarding players after injury. This is typified by McVay’s stance of returning to performance, not just returning to play. That was the determining factor in keeping Kupp off the field against the Raiders.
Last season, in Kupp’s comeback game he was thrown right into the mix playing 95 percent of snaps. In contrast, Kyren Williams played a season-low 61 percent of snaps when he was coming off an injury in 2023.
Kupp is often quarterback Matthew Stafford’s favorite target and that was the case when Kupp was health early in the season. Despite playing essentially one and a half games, Kupp is still the team’s third-most-targeted receiver.
It is hard to imagine that will be or should be the game plan against the 5-1 Vikings, but if it is, they will increase the risk of losing him to another injury.