Rams' Cooper Kupp takes big practice step ahead of Vikings clash

Just when it looked like the Los Angeles Rams' 2024 season was going to end up being a throwaway year, Sean McVay's squad held off the crumbling Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon, improving their record to 2-4 and keeping hope alive that the season could be saved. With the impending return of former All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp, Rams fans have even more reason to hope.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Cooper Kupp was listed as a full participant at Los Angeles Rams practice on Monday afternoon. Though there's been no official indication that Kupp's extended absence will end this week with the Rams hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football, it's gotta be considered a promising sign that the prolific receiver is back on the practice field without any restrictions.

After being limited to just 21 games in the two years that followed his record-nearing 2021 season, Kupp entered 2024 with a clean bill of health, and based on how often Matthew Stafford was looking his way early on, it looked like Kupp was on pace to shatter Marvin Harrison's record of 202 targets in a season. Kupp was targeted 27 times before a 2nd quarter injury against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 sidelined him for the next month. That included 21 targets in an opening week loss to the Lions.

Can Matthew Stafford/Cooper Kupp connection save Rams' season? 

Given how little we've heard about a potential Puka Nacua return, it's likely that the earliest that the second-year wideout would be able to return to the field would be during a November 3rd matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, but even that may be optimistic. Until Nacua returns to the field, you can imagine that Matthew Stafford will be peppering Cooper Kupp with the lion's share of the targets.

In Cooper Kupp's absence, Matthew Stafford has spread the ball around evenly, getting everyone in Los Angeles' shorthanded crew of pass-catchers involved. In four games without both Kupp and Nacua, Colby Parkinson, Tutu Atwell, and Jordan Whittington have all led the team in targets. Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson have both gotten a decent amount of work too.