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Sarah Barshop, ESPN Staff WriterSep 16, 2024, 06:03 PM ET
- Sarah Barshop covers the Los Angeles Rams for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2016 to cover the Green Bay Packers for ESPN Milwaukee. She then moved to Houston to cover the Texans. She came to ESPN after working as a writer and editor for Sports Illustrated. You can follow her on Twitter @sarahbarshop.
LOS ANGELES — Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp will miss “an extended period of time” with a left ankle sprain, coach Sean McVay said on Monday.
Kupp left the Rams’ 41-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday with the injury. He is a candidate for injured reserve, McVay said, which is a decision the head coach said the team expects to make either Monday or Tuesday.
McVay said guard Jonah Jackson (shoulder) and safety John Johnson III (shoulder) are also candidates for injured reserve. On Sunday, Jackson reaggravated the shoulder injury that caused him to miss time during training camp.
“We’re kind of running out of those [injured reserve] spots and we’re only into Week 3 in terms of the return to play, but that is a possibility for all of those guys,” McVay said.
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The Rams already have two offensive linemen on injured reserve: left guard Steve Avila, who sprained his MCL in Week 1, and tackle Joe Noteboom, who left the Rams’ season opener with a high ankle sprain. Tackle Alaric Jackson will return from suspension this week. He was suspended the first two games of the season for a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
“The amount of moving parts that we’ve had offensive line-wise has been wild,” McVay said. “And that’s such an important spot to be able to get a rapport with the guy that you’re playing next to.”
The Rams are already without wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is on injured reserve after spraining his posterior cruciate ligament in Week 1. Behind Kupp and Nacua, the Rams have wide receivers Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, Tutu Atwell and rookie sixth-round pick Jordan Whittington.
Kupp, who led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 2021, has not played a full season since then. Last season, Kupp missed the first four games of the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. In June, McVay said he doesn’t “think anybody really understands the amount of things [Kupp was] working through” last season.
“And for all three of those guys, you hate it because you see the work that they’ve put in,” McVay said. “None of these are season-ending, but they are extended periods of time and every week is precious.”
McVay said kicker Joshua Karty is dealing with a groin injury, but is expected to play on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
