'Looked Really Good!' Rams' Sean McVay Assesses Cooper Kupp's Injury Return

Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp returned to the practice field this week against the Denver Broncos and believes he'll be ready to go in Week 1 ... and coach Sean McVay has been encouraged by what he's seen thus far.

The Los Angeles Rams welcomed star receiver Cooper Kupp back with open arms during this week's joint practices with the Denver Broncos, marking the end of a month-long rehab process after suffering a hamstring injury in training camp.

Many of the big questions surrounding Kupp's return have already been answered, with the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year declaring his intent to play in Week 1 while quarterback Matthew Stafford said his top target "looked great" against Denver.

But what about the thoughts of Sean McVay? The Rams' Super Bowl-winning coach opted not to make Kupp playing in Week 1 a certainty but did share that the 30-year-old looks like his healthy self.

“I thought he looked really good," McVay said. "We wanted to be limited with him (Thursday), but he's gotten a lot of work over four days. Monday through Thursday was really a ramp up of his workload, but that was kind of what we wanted to be able to do and he looked really good.

"He looked like Cooper and that's an excellent player for us.”

McVay added that Kupp, who missed eight games a season ago, is a "mentally tough guy" and will once again be a "hugely important part" of what Los Angeles does offensively.

And so, while Kupp may not officially be cleared to go in Week 1, he seems more than confident that he'll be out there ... and McVay certainly appears to be encouraged by what he's seen thus far.

Better yet, the Rams have plenty of time to allow Kupp to keep healing, as the regular season kicks off on Sept. 10 with a road game against the Seattle Seahawks ... and all signs point towards the former Triple Crown winner lining up to catch passes from Stafford once more.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @ByDanielFlick

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