Rams' Sean McVay 'Hopeful' Cooper Kupp Can Return for Week 5 vs. Eagles After Injury

The Los Angeles Rams are "hopeful" that star wide receiver Cooper Kupp will be able to return from a hamstring injury when he's first eligible to come off injured reserve in Week 5, head coach Sean McVay told reporters Friday.

"The reason that we put him on IR was so that, you know that if it's going to be those four weeks that he's mandated to be able to miss, and then we can take him off of the IR and be available for that fifth week, that was the reason that we made that decision that we did," McVay said.

Kupp was quickly ruled out for L.A.'s Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks after he suffered a "setback" in his recovery from the hamstring ailment at the end of August. He initially injured his hamstring early in training camp.

Losing the 30-year-old for the first four games of the 2023 season was viewed as a tough blow for the Rams, especially considering the team isn't full of solid reinforcements at the position.

Van Jefferson is considered Matthew Stafford's top target in the absence of Kupp, and he leads a group that also includes Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson and Puka Nacua.

The Rams relied heavily on the run game in Week 1 against Seattle. Kyren Williams had 15 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns while Cam Akers had 22 carries for 29 yards and one score.

That said, the passing game was still strong despite a healthy Stafford not passing for a touchdown. Nacua caught 10 passes for 119 yards and Atwell caught six passes for 119 yards.

Kupp's eventual reintegration into the offense will be a significant boost for the Rams as they aim to bounce back from an abysmal 2022 campaign that saw them finish with a 5-12 record and miss the postseason thanks to injuries to Stafford and several of their other top players.

Kupp, who had a career year in 2021 with 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns, appeared in just nine games last season due to a high-ankle sprain. He was still highly effective when healthy, catching 75 passes for 812 yards and six scores.

The Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts ahead of a Week 5 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Given the quality of opponents head, L.A. will definitely need Kupp to step up down the line.