Los Angeles Rams WR Kupp Unlikely to Return This Season

As if it weren't already obvious, the Los Angeles Rams are throwing in the towel on the 2022 regular season. Head coach Sean McVay told reporters Tuesday that he was "hard pressed" to envision a scenario where All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp would return to action this year.

Will Cooper Kupp play again this season? Sean McVay says he'd be "hard pressed" to see such a scenario.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) December 13, 2022

Kupp has been unavailable since suffering a particularly severe high-ankle sprain in a Week 10 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He logged an impressive 75 catches for 812 yards in only 10 appearances before his exit.

Kupp's inglorious end is yet another black mark in a lost season for the Super Bowl LVI Champions. At 4-9, the Rams rank 29th in scoring, 31st in yards gained, and 28th in giveaways. It would be tempting to declare injuries to Kupp and starting quarterback Matthew Stafford as the key reasons for a miserable year, but the season was already spiralling out of control well before they were shelved. The 2022 Rams will go down as one of the most disappointing follow-ups for a Super Bowl Champion of all time.

Kupp initially joined the Rams as the 69th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. He contributed four respectable years before rocketing into the stratosphere after the Rams acquired Stafford in 2021, leading the league in catches (145), receiving yards (1947), and receiving touchdowns (16) before eventually winning Super Bowl LVI MVP.