In 2021, he enjoyed a monster season and the Los Angeles Rams won a Super Bowl. However, there seems to be some question marks regarding Cooper Kupp.
Earlier this week, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp left the team’s practice with a reported hamstring injury. At the time, head coach Sean McVay didn’t have much news on the status of the Super Bowl LVI Most Valuable Player.
Rams: Will 2023 be a bounce back season for Cooper Kupp?
The latest on Kupp
A few days later, Rams’ offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur (via the team website) had this update. “Yeah, I don’t know the total medical stuff with it. He’s day to day. He’ll be back in the right time and stuff like that. So, he is just going through the rehab process, but he’s day to day. He’ll be alright.”
LaFleur was also asked on Thursday how “cautious the club would be” with the 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year? That’s a question for the medical people. I try to stay in my lane with that stuff when they tell us, ‘Hey, he’s ready, full go.’ Coop knows his body. He’s a professional. The guys working with him are professionals. They’ll get it right when the time is right.”
On the comeback trail
Perhaps the bigger question is whether the prolific wideout can recapture the form from 2019-21. It was a three-year stretch in which he totaled 331 catches for 4,089 yards and 29 scores in 48 regular-season contests. Of course, there was that magical year in 2021 in which the third-round pick in 2017 from Eastern Washington put together a season for the ages.
Kupp started all 17 regular-season contests. His 145 catches and 1,947 receiving yards are the second-highest single-season total in league history. He led the NFL with 16 TD receptions. During the Rams’ four-game postseason run which culminated in a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, he finished with 33 grabs for 478 yards and six touchdown catches.
All told, Kupp was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, a Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection and would wind up being named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl LVI.
It is certainly asking a lot for the six-year wideout to duplicate 2021. Kupp missed the final eight games of 2022 but still caught 75 passes for 812 yards and six scores in nine contests. It will be interesting to see which version of this talented wideout we see this season. Then again, McVay’s team was a disappointing 5-12 this past season. So which Rams’ team will we see this year?