Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that a Week 7 return for star receiver Cooper Kupp would be “an ideal target” but “by no means is that guaranteed.”
McVay declined to say whether Kupp would return to practice after the Week 6 bye, adding that he had not yet discussed the matter with the medical staff.
“The Raiders (game) was always an optimistic target date just based on a few weeks back that we had set,” McVay said. The Rams will play the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7.
Kupp injured his ankle in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals but did not go on injured reserve. He has missed multiple weeks due to injuries in the Rams’ last three seasons (including 2024). Before Kupp’s injury, he had 18 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown.
No. 2 receiver Puka Nacua is also out with a knee injury and is on IR. His timeline for return is even less clear than Kupp’s.
“What specifically in his knee was aggravated and the typical timeline that is usually accompanied with that, and really just based on his feedback and his rehab — there was always kind of a target date that they had tentatively set on when he could get back,” McVay said. “We’ll see if we’re exactly on that.”
Quarterback Matthew Stafford is experiencing back soreness, McVay said, but Stafford’s availability is not expected to be affected in practice or games. Stafford has been hit 40 times in five games, the third-most in the NFL, and 16 of those hits were sacks.
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