Rams’ Kupp to have ankle surgery, headed to IR

LOS ANGELES — Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp will have ankle surgery Wednesday and be placed on injured reserve, coach Sean McVay said Tuesday.

Kupp will miss at least four games on injured reserve, but McVay did not rule the receiver out for the rest of the season. McVay said the “tightrope” procedure that will be performed on Kupp typically has a recovery time of five to six weeks.

Kupp suffered a high ankle sprain in the Rams’ Week 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth quarter while attempting to catch a pass from quarterback John Wolford. Kupp appeared to grab his right ankle after the play and was helped to the bench by the team’s medical staff.

“Obviously you never ever replace a player like Cooper Kupp, but we’ve got to figure out the best way to accentuate the skill sets of the guys that will be playing,” McVay said.

Kupp took to Twitter to thank his fans for their support.

Thanks to everyone who has reached out and sent prayers! This is unfortunately just part of the game. Appreciate having a trusted medical team around me. Gonna get this thing fixed, then get back to work to get back to work!

— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) November 15, 2022

The Los Angeles offense has depended on Kupp this season: Entering Week 10, Kupp accounted for 35.7% of the Rams’ catches this season, which is the highest mark by any player in the league. He entered the game with 72 receptions, for a pace of 153 over a 17-game season, according to ESPN Stats & Information data. The NFL single-season record is 149 by New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas in 2019.

“I think what we’ve learned more than anything, especially this year, is let’s just take it a day at a time,” McVay said. “Let’s see how that procedure goes tomorrow when he gets that done. Let’s make sure that all the things that they initially thought based on what the MRI looked like were in alignment. How does that surgery go? But I don’t think you want to pigeonhole yourself into one approach, but you do know that the first step is the surgery and then the appropriate steps will be followed after that.”

McVay also said that quarterback Matthew Stafford is still in the concussion protocol but that the team would get more clarity on his situation later in the day Tuesday.

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