LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp is likely to miss the rest of the season with his sprained right ankle, coach Sean McVay says.
McVay announced Tuesday that he doesn’t expect Kupp to play again this season, although he left open the slightest possibility the 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year could return. Kupp has missed the past four games for the Rams (4-9), who have four games remaining.
“You won’t see Cooper this year,” McVay said. “Aaron (Donald), there’s still a possibility, but Cooper, I would be hard-pressed to see any scenario that he would play again this year.”
Donald has missed the Rams’ past two games with a high ankle sprain. McVay said there’s still a chance for Donald, the seven-time All-Pro and three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year, to get back into practice this month for a possible late-season return.
Kupp was injured Nov. 13 against Arizona when he went down awkwardly while trying to catch a poorly thrown ball from backup quarterback John Wolford. He has missed the Rams’ past four games, but the Super Bowl MVP had expressed optimism shortly after his injury about a possible late-season return.
Instead, McVay says the Rams expect Kupp to sit out the final four games of the season as well.
“It’s really just the timing of the injury and how long it would take for him to get back to even being medically cleared to return to performance,” McVay said. “He’s making good progress … but I still think you’re anything between three and four weeks away. I’ve got to be careful speaking in absolutes. I think it would be surprising if he was able to play again (this season), but I don’t want to say there’s a 0% chance.”
Los Angeles’ decisions on injuries are easier because its playoff hopes are all but mathematically gone as it heads to Green Bay for a Monday night game.
The Rams only snapped a six-game losing streak last Thursday because new quarterback Baker Mayfield led two dramatic touchdown drives in the fourth quarter of a 17-16 victory over Las Vegas.
Kupp has 75 receptions for 812 yards and six touchdowns this season. Despite missing the last four games and making three catches for minus-1 yards against the Cardinals before getting hurt, he still ranks ninth in the NFL in receptions and 19th in yards receiving.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford is all but certain to miss the rest of the season with a bruised spinal cord. Several additional key starters are out for the season, including receiver Allen Robinson (foot), defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson (knee), guard David Edwards (concussion) and left tackles Joseph Noteboom (Achilles) and Alaric Jackson (blood clots).
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