Rams’ Cooper Kupp suffers ‘setback’ in hamstring recovery

The Rams will have a kicker for Week 1 of the regular season, but will they have their top offensive threat?
Coach Sean McVay shared after Thursday’s practice that receiver Cooper Kupp, whose historic 2021 season was capped by Super Bowl MVP honors, sustained a “setback” in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Last season, Kupp’s campaign was ended prematurely by an ankle injury that required surgery. He had been absent at times during offseason activity due to the birth of his third child and then as a result of his initial hamstring injury, which he sustained on Aug. 1 during a red-zone drill.
Kupp returned to practice last week, but he found himself on the shelf anew Thursday.
When asked about Kupp’s availability for Week 1, McVay was decidedly noncommittal.
“I think we just take it a day at a time right now. We’ll see, we want to be able to get him back right,” McVay said. “We’re obviously a much better team when he’s available, but in his absence over the last handful of months he’s been out there leading in the way that he can.”
Kupp was the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year two seasons ago when the Rams won their first Super Bowl in Los Angeles. Not only did he capture the triple crown that season by leading the league in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and receptions, but he nearly broke the NFL’s single-season records in yardage and catches.
Kupp missed the final eight games last season, finishing with 75 catches for 812 yards and six touchdowns.
McVay said pinpointing a return date for Kupp was “tricky,” in part because of the nature of his soft-tissue injury and because the Rams wanted to exercise an abundance of caution with one of their cornerstone players.
“There’s a difference between (a) return to play and a return to performance. We want a return to performance for Cooper Kupp,” said McVay, who proceeded to reiterate the uncertainty of Kupp’s availability for Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks.
If Kupp is sidelined for any portion of the schedule, Van Jefferson will effectively become the Rams’ No. 1 receiver and likely the second-most targeted option behind tight end Tyler Higbee. McVay mentioned newly acquired veteran DeMarcus Robinson and the versatile Ben Skowronek as players who might step forward in Kupp’s absence.
EXTRA POINTS? NO PROBLEM
While the Rams might be facing a void when it comes to catching the football, they’re no longer left wanting for someone to kick it. They officially added a kicker, journeyman Brett Maher, on Thursday.
While Maher was technically added to the practice squad, one could bank on him handling kickoffs, extra points and field goals on Sept. 10 when the Rams will travel to Seattle. He made a career-best 90.6% of his field-goal attempts with Dallas last season, with a season-long of 60 yards.
After the preseason didn’t go according to plan for Maher with the Denver Broncos, the Rams pivoted after cutting kicker Tanner Brown on Tuesday.
“Really grateful for Tanner’s contributions. (It) didn’t go the way that we wanted, but Brett Maher is a guy that’s done it at a high level,” McVay said.
While Maher’s present-day prowess remains to be seen, his airline-mile statements and passport pages might be the stuff of legend. He has kicked for Denver most recently, but also the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns. He also kicked for the New York Jets in two separate stints and had three stretches with the Cowboys. Additionally, he competed for three additional franchises in the Canadian Football League, including two separate tenures in Ottawa.
FULLER AMONG THE CAPTAINS
Safety Jordan Fuller was voted as a team captain by his peers, marking the second time in three seasons he’s served as a captain on defense.
“He’s authentically himself. I think the number one thing that people feel is, ‘Are you being yourself?’” McVay said. “He’s so steady, so consistent, he’s refreshingly secure in who he is and what his natural personality is, but he connects with guys.”
Joining Fuller as defensive captains are defensive lineman Aaron Donald, the longest-tenured Ram and a six-time captain, and linebacker Ernest Jones, a first-time selection, like Skowronek, who was dubbed a special teams captain.
On offense, quarterback Matthew Stafford had the “C” sewn onto his jersey for the third consecutive year. Tackle Rob Havenstein will be a captain for the second straight season following the retirement of Andrew Whitworth. Kupp will be in his fourth season as a captain and Higbee is a first-time honoree.