GLENDALE, Ariz. – Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp left Sunday’s 41-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals with a left ankle injury, missing the entire second of the blowout defeat.
Kupp appeared to injure the ankle on a 24-yard reception in the second quarter. As a couple of defenders converged to make the tackle, Kupp’s ankle rolled up under one of their bodies. He got up on his own and was able to stay in the game at first, but then hobbled off the field and sat down on a bench on the sideline to receive treatment from the training staff.
“He was limping a little bit, and he usually doesn’t limp for too long,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “Sometimes he gets stepped on and you limp for a minute and walk one off. But we’ll see what that is.”
Kupp missed a couple plays before returning to the field for the Rams’ fourth-down attempt at the end of the second quarter. But he was unable to continue playing in the second half.
Rams head coach Sean McVay said he did not have an update on Kupp’s status moving forward after the game. The veteran receiver had a walking boot on his left leg in the post-game locker room.
The Rams were already down one of their top two receivers entering Arizona. Puka Nacua, last year’s record-breaking rookie sensation, was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday after spraining his PCL in the Week 1 loss to the Lions. He’ll miss at least three more games, though McVay has indicated that Nacua may require more time to recover from the injury.
So now the Rams are staring down the possibility of being without both Kupp and Nacua next weekend against the San Francisco 49ers.
Demarcus Robinson steps in as the veteran presence with game experience with Stafford. He caught two passes for 50 yards on Sunday, including a 42-yarder in which Stafford pointed him open on a scramble drill. The speedy Tutu Atwell gives the Rams a change-of-pace option, while rookie Jordan Whittington and Tyler Johnson will be asked to step into bigger roles.
“Those guys did a nice job today when they got their opportunities in the game,” Stafford said. “Continue to grow with those guys, try to help them out as much as I possibly can, give them good passes to catch and let them do their thing. I got a ton of trust in them.”
Briefly
Rams safety John Johnson III left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. McVay said he didn’t have a prognosis for Johnson’s status moving forward.
