Rams' McVay: Cooper Kupp Has 'Definite Possibility' to Go on IR with Hamstring Injury

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp heading to the injured reserve is a "definite possibility," head coach Sean McVay said Friday, per ESPN's Field Yates.

Kupp is already set to miss the Rams' Sunday season opener against the Seattle Seahawks due to a hamstring injury McVay described as "some soft tissue stuff," per Stu Jackson of the Rams' official website.

Kupp suffered the hamstring injury during training camp on August 1 and saw a "setback" to his recovery later that month, McVay told reporters. He was in Minnesota on Monday to see a specialist about the injury, according to the Associated Press.

If placed on the reserve/injured list, Kupp will need to miss at least four games before he can return, so the Rams will need to decide on his designation Saturday.

McVay has not shared details of Kupp's injury, but described it to reporters earlier this week as not "the normal thing."

"It wasn't the normal thing and there's a lot of gray behind this," McVay said Wednesday. "I'm not a doctor, so I can't really answer anything more about that. I just know that it doesn't follow the standard protocol for when you're re-aggravating a soft tissue injury, trying to continue to get a grasp on exactly what it is so that he can get back to feeling like the Cooper that we know and love, and hopefully we'll do that."

Kupp is battling injury for the second consecutive season since leading the NFL with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns during his 2021 campaign as Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl LVI MVP.

After starting the first nine games of the Rams' 2022 season, Kupp underwent season-ending ankle surgery prior to Week 10.

The wide receiver returned to team practice while still rehabbing in June and described himself as back to "running full speed" by late July. Days later, he suffered the hamstring injury.

Losing Kupp for the beginning of the season is a tough blow for the Rams, who lack depth behind their star wide receiver. While Van Jefferson has some experience, Tutu Atwell and rookie Puka Nacua, at least one of whom is likely to get more playing time in Kupp's absense, are relatively unknown quantities heading into Sunday.