The Los Angeles Rams placed Cooper Kupp on injured reserve this week after he suffered an ankle injury that required him to undergo surgery. With Kupp being such a focal point of the offense, Sean McVay revealed the challenges of not having the All-Pro wideout available.
“It’s going to give a lot of guys an opportunity to be able to step up. Anytime that you lose a player like that, you never replace him,” McVay said Wednesday. “But what it does provide is an opportunity for us to learn about a lot of other guys from that receiver room and really our offense in general. So you have to look at it through that lens. But Cooper, we all know what a special player (and) person he is and that’s a big loss without a doubt but it will provide opportunities for a lot of other guys to be able to get chances that they wouldn’t get otherwise.”
Ahead of their showdown with the New Orleans Saints in Week 11, Kupp has accounted for 37.8% of the Rams’ receiving yards this season. The reigning Super Bowl MVP is Matthew Stafford’s go-to option and he’s scored six of the team’s nine receiving touchdowns thus far.
Losing Kupp in a season where the Rams have struggled to find ways to win is far from ideal. But McVay views Kupp’s absence as a chance for the other wide receivers on the roster to showcase their abilities and potentially earn roles in the future.
Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson will likely see the majority of the snaps while we could get a better look at guys like Ben Skowronek, Tutu Atwell, Lance McCutcheon, and Brandon Powell. Even though it’s unfortunate to see Kupp sidelined for the Rams, McVay is taking a positive approach by asking more from the other guys on the roster.
