Rams Make Decision on Cooper Kupp Well Ahead of Week 5 Matchup

Kupp has missed the last two games with an ankle injury.

Eva Geitheim | Oct 1, 2024

Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has ruled wide receiver Cooper Kupp out of the Rams' Week 5 game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic.

Sean McVay ruled Cooper Kupp out for the Packers game. Rams have their bye the week after.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 30, 2024

Kupp has missed each of the last two games with an ankle injury. Kupp injured his ankle during the Rams' Week 2 41-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He left the game during the second quarter and did not return. Kupp has 18 receptions for 147 yards and one touchdown on the season. He has previously dealt with an ankle injury, particularly in 2022 when he underwent surgery for a high ankle sprain.

McVay stated after the injury that Kupp was likely to miss an "extended period," but the team did not place Kupp on the injured reserve. The Rams have had to place a number of players on IR, leaving them little room to place another player on IR with the designation to return. Offensive linemen Steve Avila, Connor McDermott, KT Leveston, Jonah Jackson, and Joe Noteboom, safety John Johnson III, cornerbacks Tre Tomlinson and Derion Kendrick, and wide receiver Puka Nacua are also on IR.

The Rams do have a bye after their game against the Packers, which potentially could give Kupp the time he needs to return in Week 7 when the Rams face the Las Vegas Raiders.

Los Angeles is also without star wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is on IR with a PCL sprain. Nacua re-aggravated his preseason knee injury during their Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions and will be first eligible to return against the Raiders.

With Kupp and Nacua out, Tutu Atwell has emerged as the team's leading receiver over the last two weeks. Atwell caught four passes for 93 yards during the Rams' comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3. In Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, Atwell caught four passes for 82 yards. Jordan Whittington and Demarcus Robinson have also stepped up behind Atwell.

The Rams have gotten some better injury news in that Darious Williams and Larrell Murchison are starting their 21-day practice windows, meaning they are nearing a return to the team from the IR, per Rodrigue.

Darious Williams (hamstring) and Larrell Murchison (arm) will start their 21-day windows this week, per Sean McVay.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 30, 2024