Cooper Kupp ruled out for season opener against Seahawks

The news crushed Rams fans and sent fantasy football team owners into a tailspin. Cooper Kupp won’t play in the season opener against the Seahawks.

Rams coach Sean McVay broke the news about his star player late Wednesday afternoon. Kupp has a hamstring issue and it may be more than a simple strain. That’s why Kupp sought the medical advice of a body specialist who practices in Minnesota.

“I would just say this, it’s trying to just figure out what’s going on with him,” McVay said about Cooper Kupp during a media availability. “Again, I’m kind of speaking out of turn. I just know that we’re trying to open up every avenue in regards to figuring out what’s going on, why is he feeling some of the sensations and things like that in his hamstring. Is it soft tissue? Is there something nerve-wise? And I would be speaking out of turn.”

And McVay continued speaking.

“I think we’re really trying to be able to figure that out. He felt like he gained a lot of information, was able to do a couple day’s worth of treatment that was beneficial. But it wasn’t anything that’s like, OK, he’s going to be back right now. And we had a feeling that there could be a couple weeks that we need to just be able to take it a day at a time and then hopefully we’ll start to see some positive results as it relates to how he’s feeling.”

McVay couldn’t even provide a precise timetable for a return. “It could be anywhere between if we decide to put him on IR or it could be a couple weeks,” McVay said. “But as soon as I have that information, I’ll let you guys know. And I know he wants to be out there badly, and we want him to be out there but we don’t want to rush it either.”

The Rams have listed Cooper Kupp as “day to day” since practices for the regular season began. He missed eight games last year after suffering a high ankle sprain. But even with missing almost half the season, Kupp caught 75 passes for 812 yards and six touchdowns.

And in 2021, the year the Rams won the Super Bowl, Cooper Kupp put together pin-ball like stats. He cauht 145 passes for 1,937 yards and 16 touchdowns. If he was on your fantasty team, you were golden.

Will Kupp sidelined, Van Jefferson could emerge as quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s new top target.