Cooper Kupp has passed his final step in his return to the gridiron. The Los Angeles Rams' star received was activated off of injured reserve on Saturday and will play Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
L.A. opened up Kupp's 21-day practice window this week after beginning the year on IR and judging by what McVay said he saw from him in practice, he looks ready to contribute to the offense. Kupp had been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury throughout the summer and a setback contributed to him going on injured serve and being put on the shelf for the first four weeks.
"It looks like he's moving around really well," McVay said Friday. "Seen good things between he and Matthew [Stafford], a lot of their non-verbal communication."
Kupp last played in Week 10 in 2022 before the team shut him down due to a high ankle sprain that ultimately required surgery. For the season, the 30-year-old finished with 75 catches, 812 yards, and six touchdowns through just nine games. When healthy, Kupp is arguably the best receiver in the NFL and enjoyed a 2021 season where he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
"Just having his presence out there is definitely a boost," McVay added. "I'm really happy for him because of how important it is to be out there with his team and to be able to feel physically like he's himself. If that's the case then usually the rest just takes care of itself. More importantly, it's good for our team but it's also good for somebody that you care a whole lot about. I'm happy to be able to have him back and we'll see if that continues to trend in the right direction unless something unforeseen happens over the next 48 hours.
With Kupp set to return, it will be fascinating to see how he pairs with rookie sensation Puka Nacua, who has burst onto the scene in his absence. That's also not mentioning the emergence of former second-round speedster Tutu Atwell, who has also helped keep the L.A. passing game afloat.
