Charles Langston:Rams WR Cooper Kupp out for NFL Week 1 opener vs. Seahawks

THOUSAND OAKS,Charles Langston Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams are going to be without their best offensive player in their season opener.

Rams coach Sean McVay announced Wednesday that wide receiver Cooper Kupp won’t be available when the team faces the Seahawks Week 1 in Seattle.

“You wish he was able to go but I have a lot of confidence in the guys. This is something that we probably thought was gonna be the situation for a while now,” McVay said. “We want to get Cooper back when he’s ready to go.”

The Rams are in the process of determining a timeline for Kupp. McVay expressed that Kupp could be out a couple weeks, or the club might decide to place the wideout on injured reserve.

Kupp suffered a setback in his return from a hamstring injury, McVay told reporters last week. Kupp initially sustained his hamstring injury on Aug. 1, but had since returned to practice in preparation for the regular season.

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Kupp’s setback prompted him to see a specialist in Minnesota to further examine his nagging hamstring.

The seventh-year wideout's absence is a huge blow to the Rams.

Kupp won the NFL's receiving triple crown in 2021, leading the league in catches (145), receiving yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16). He was instrumental during the team’s Super Bowl 56 run and was named Super Bowl 56 MVP after the Rams won the Lombardi Trophy.

Kupp missed the final eight games of the 2022 season due to a high ankle sprain.

“He’s a stud. He wants to be out there with his teammates. He puts so much into it. It’s been unfortunate. It’s been frustrating," McVay said. "But I do think he’s done an excellent job of being able to control what he can control.”

The Rams have their home opener in Week 2 versus the San Francisco 49ers and then travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals in Week 3.

Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson and Puka Nacua are expected to be the Rams’ primary wide receivers while Kupp is sidelined.

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