What happened to Cooper Kupp? Rams WR leaves practice with hamstring injury

Wide receiver Cooper Kupp left the Los Angeles Rams’ Tuesday night practice early due to a hamstring injury. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the team considers his return questionable.

While no one saw the exact proceeding leading to the injury, head coach Sean McVay said it came during a red zone situation. Kupp’s injury came 30 minutes after practice at the University of California Irvine started.

Kupp is returning from a high ankle sprain that limited him to nine games last season. That injury required surgery, prompting the Rams to place him on season-ending injured reserve last November.

Despite the injury, he still had 812 receiving yards, 75 receptions, and six touchdowns. However, his absence affected the Rams’ winning chances. They finished 5-12 a year after winning Super Bowl LVI over Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Last offseason, Cooper Kupp signed a three-year, $80 million contract extension, keeping him under contract until 2026.

However, the former Eastern Washington standout agreed to convert his $13.92 million 2023 base salary into a signing bonus, clearing $10.4 million of cap space.

The 2022 season was not the first time Cooper Kupp missed extensive playing time. He only played eight games in 2018 after suffering a torn knee ligament.

Since then, he has become one of the best wideouts in the NFL, bouncing back with 1,161 yards and ten touchdowns in 2019.

Cooper Kupp had a magical 2021 NFL season

The Washington native finally reached the summit of his craft in his fifth NFL season. With Matthew Stafford throwing balls to him, Cooper Kupp won the wide receiver triple crown in 2021.

He led all wideouts in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and touchdowns (16) that year. Kupp came up just 17 yards short of Calvin Johnson’s single-season record.

His production earned him First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections. He was also voted NFL Offensive Player of the Year, beating Jonathan Taylor and Tom Brady.

More importantly, the Rams entered the playoffs with a 12-5 record. Kupp was at his best during the 2021 postseason, tallying 183 yards and a touchdown in their Divisional Round matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A week later, he had 142 yards and two touchdowns in the NFC Championship game versus the San Francisco 49ers.

Cooper Kupp saved the best for last, collecting two touchdowns and 92 yards in Super Bowl LVI, making him the game’s Most Valuable Player.

Having another injury threatens his chances of repeating that stellar 2021 season.