On Monday, Sean McVay made a public announcement pertaining to the return of wide receiver Cooper Kupp, stating that Week 7 is the “ideal target” for him to be back on the field with the Rams. McVay also cited words like “by no means is that guaranteed” and called Week 7 an “optimistic target date.”
McVay’s skepticism instilled zero confidence in the idea that Kupp would be 100 percent come Week 7. And even if he is, the Rams should not play him.
Kupp has reached a certain point where the clock on his career has an actual estimate of an end. Though Kupp has the potential to be a productive receiver for another 4-5 years, the injuries are adding up and another could set him back even further.
The season is already rapidly going downhill and his return does little to fix the problems plaguing the Rams. While the opportunity to rewrite the season remains, it won’t be worth it if Kupp picks up an injury and misses any potential playoff run.
The Rams need to take their time with him and push that target date back until words like “optimistic” become confirmed. He’s only four weeks removed from an ankle sprain that required him to be in a cast, so it’s not as if this was merely a minor injury.