Sean McVay reveals best-case scenario for Cooper Kupp’s return from injury
Rams star receiver Cooper Kupp might not return to practice from a hamstring injury until before the team’s second preseason game, against the Las Vegas Raiders.
That would qualify as a best-case scenario for coach Sean McVay, who said Saturday that Kupp remained “day to day” after suffering “a little tweak” during a training camp drill Tuesday.
“I don’t think it’s anything to be overly concerned with,” McVay said. “I’m hopeful to get him back out here sooner than later. ... I’m definitely hopeful that by the time we at least have our competitive practices against the Raiders, he’s able to get that work because I think that is important.
“Don’t want to rush it but. … It’s not something we expect to drag on. But you never know with the soft tissue stuff.”
With Cooper Kupp out for an indefinite period of time because of a hamstring injury, here’s a look at the impact on the Rams’ receiving corps.
Regardless of the condition of his injured hamstring, Kupp won’t play in preseason games. Neither will star quarterback Matthew Stafford nor star defensive lineman Aaron Donald.
But McVay will break from his recent tradition and in preseason games deploy other players who could have significant roles in the Sept. 10 opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams open the preseason Saturday against the Chargers at SoFi Stadium. They also play the Raiders and the Denver Broncos.
“It will be very different than kind of what we’ve been accustomed to,” McVay said of the preseason approach.
In 2017, McVay’s first season with the Rams, starters played in preseason games. That changed in 2018, the Rams advanced to Super Bowl LIII, and McVay has mostly stuck to that philosophy since.
But after winning Super Bowl LVI with an experienced and star-studded team, the Rams were routed in last season’s opener against the Buffalo Bills and nosedived to a 5-12 record.
The Rams’ roster includes nearly 40 rookies.
“This is a lot closer to 2017, where we’re kind of learning a lot about these guys,” McVay said. “But the guys that have been big contributors, that have played a lot of snaps, we’ll tilt toward being smart with them.
“But for the most part, there’s going to be a lot of guys that are playing and very few guys that won’t.”
Rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett, 25, won two titles with Georgia and has shown during training camp what he’s capable of doing with the Rams offense.
The Rams, and other teams, have refrained from playing starters during preseason games as the popularity of joint practices before those games has grown. The Rams will have joint practices with the Raiders and Broncos.
Stafford, who is preparing for his 15th NFL season, said he does not need to play in preseason games to prepare for the season.
“Especially with the amount of experiences I’ve had in this league, I feel like I can get myself ready to play without doing that,” he said. “And with the addition of all the joint practices that teams are doing, you really get some great work in there while being able to keep it in somewhat of a safe environment.”
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