Heading into the 2023 season, Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp is expected to be 100 percent healthy after undergoing tight rope surgery to address the high-ankle sprain he suffered last year.
Kupp was limited to nine games in the 2022 season, though he still managed to record 75 receptions for 812 yards and six touchdowns. It’s a far cry from the previous season where Kupp earned the prestigious Triple Crown honor, leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
The former Super Bowl MVP is the engine of the Rams’ offense as he’s the team’s most reliable receiver and route runner. However, he’s also as unselfish of a star as there is in the league as he’s happy to serve as a decoy or get physical in the run game.
With the upcoming season nearly upon fans, it also marks the release of the new Madden NFL 24. The video game released its top-10 receivers for next year and Kupp made the list tied for No. 4 with a 96 overall ranking, via EA Madden:
Give us your Top 🔟
See ALL of the #Madden24 WR ratings 👉 https://t.co/jNG0WRU0Y3 pic.twitter.com/fCgoLLLmzG
— Madden NFL 24 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 17, 2023
Kupp landing in the top five is quite the accomplishment and says a lot about how well-regarded he is among people in the industry despite a truncated 2022 campaign. Justin Jefferson being ranked No. 1 overall should come as no surprise, and Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Stefon Diggs following him make sense as well.
There’s obviously a case to be made that Kupp could be higher on the list, though he’ll need to earn that kind of status with a strong campaign in 2023. The receivers above him all had fantastic 2022 showings, though as far as talent goes, Kupp is right there with him.
Fans will surely be chomping at the bit to play the new Madden when it’s officially released on Aug. 18, but for they’ll have to make due with the start of training camp and eventually preseason to get their NFL fix.
Cooper Kupp’s ankle making progress and feeling good at OTAs
There’s always some worry anytime a player undergoes surgery to fix an injury, but fortunately it seems that things went according to plan when Kupp underwent his procedure. The star receiver has been using the offseason to get back to full health and during the OTA period he said he was feeling good and that his ankle was making progress during his rehab.
