The injury issues keep piling up for the Rams. Days after placing wideout Puka Nacua on injured reserve, coach Sean McVay revealed that fellow star receiver Cooper Kupp will also miss “an extended period of time” (per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop).
[RELATED: Rams To Place WR Puka Nacua On IR]
Kupp missed the second half of yesterday’s loss to the Cardinals following a second-quarter ankle injury. The receiver was spotted wearing a boot after the game, and McVay has since acknowledged that the veteran may land on injured reserve.
This is a tough break for Kupp, who has missed time in each of the past two seasons. His 2022 season ended prematurely following a high ankle sprain that required surgery, and he missed the beginning of the 2023 campaign while nursing a hamstring issue. Kupp’s latter absence allowed Nacua to establish himself atop the depth chart, and there was plenty of optimism that the duo would emerge as one of the league’s top WR tandems in 2024.
Instead, Matthew Stafford will likely have to navigate the next month with the likes of Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, Tutu Atwell, and sixth-round rookie Jordan Whittington. We already got a preview of the Rams’ offensive struggles during yesterday’s game. Per Barshop, yesterday marked the first time Stafford failed to toss a touchdown since Week 1 of the 2023 campaign. That ended the second-longest active streak in the NFL (behind Kirk Cousins).
The injury news doesn’t stop there. Guard Jonah Jackson re-aggravated his shoulder injury and could also land on IR, per Barshop. The offseason acquisition dealt with a shoulder injury for much of training camp and the preseason but was able to make his way into the lineup for Week 1. Jackson’s injury will stress an already depleted OL depth chart that’s without Steve Avila and Joe Noteboom.
The injuries also extend to the defensive side of the ball, as Barshop reports that safety John Johnson III is also a candidate for IR while dealing with a shoulder injury. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Johnson suffered a hairline fracture in his scapula and is expected to miss four to six weeks. The veteran defensive back started eight of his 17 appearances during his first season in Los Angeles in 2023.