The Los Angeles Rams decided not to place wide receiver Cooper Kupp on injured reserve with the high-ankle sprain that he suffered against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but he is in a cast to help the swelling go down despite still being eligible to return within four weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
It is worth noting that the Rams already have 11 players on injured reserve, and the team can only designate eight players from injured reserve to return during the season. Cooper Kupp might have gone on injured reserve in normal circumstances, but this might be a maneuver for the Rams not to have to burn a return designation on Kupp.
It also leaves open the possibility of him returning within the next four weeks, which would be huge for the Rams given that Puka Nacua is on injured reserve as well. With the team being 0-2, getting Kupp back on the field as soon as possible is vital. They will have to make due without the top two receivers on the team in Kupp and Puka Nacua.
While Kupp can return soon if he is ready, it remains to be seen if he will be able to make a quick return. It will be worth checking in each week to see how likely he is to return.
Rams look to survive injuries amid 0-2 start
The Rams lost a heart-breaking game to the Detroit Lions in overtime in Week 1, but many were optimistic about the effort in that game despite the loss. Then, they got thoroughly dominated by the Cardinals in Week 2. With injuries piling up, some are rightly questioning whether or not the Rams can dig out of this hole.
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It will not get any easier in Week 3, as the Rams are set to host the San Francisco 49ers, who are dealing with injuries themselves with Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel out. However, the 49ers are more healthy than the Rams, and have more talent on paper. It will be interesting to see if the Rams can put up a fight.
Los Angeles did make the playoffs after starting the season 3-6 a year ago, so it would not be too crazy for them to come out of an 0-3 hole to make it. After hosting the 49ers, the Rams will go on the road to play the Chicago Bears in a game that should be winnable based on how Chicago's offense has looked so far. Then the next two games are against the Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders. Luckily with the injuries, the Rams have the bye week after the Packers game, providing some time for players to recover without missing a game.
