A torn ACL can be one of the most difficult injuries to recover from across all sports. For Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, he has been getting ready to come back since the moment he went down.
It has been nine long months since then and Kupp is finally back on the field. After being held to limited action during the start of organized team activities in June, it was announced recently that Kupp would be made active for Training Camp, which is obviously a good sign for his health.
Despite the strong progress he has made, the team is taking no chances with Kupp. According to Myles Simmons of therams.com, Rams head coach Sean McVay said Kupp will not be playing in any preseason games:
“[F]or him to be able to get out here in these types of settings, I think it’s only going to continue to make him more and more comfortable so that hopefully he’s peaking by the time we play Carolina because he’s not a guy you’re going to see during the preseason.”
Kupp got his first look against another team on Saturday when the Rams and Los Angeles Chargers held their second joint practice. Kupp was held out of the first joint practice on Thursday as a precaution.
The team will be heading to Napa for more joint practices with the Oakland Raiders ahead of their preseason opener on Saturday. Kupp will likely practice, but that will be the last he sees of another team until the start of the regular season.
As of now, it appears that Kupp’s recovery process has gone over quite well. Quarterback Jared Goff noted that the young receiver’s speed is back to normal and that he seemed comfortable on the field.
Kupp was on his way to becoming the Rams best receiver before his injury. In only eight games, he was able to total 566 yards and six touchdowns on 40 receptions. Despite his shortened season, Kupp’s six touchdowns were tied for the most receiving touchdowns across the entire team. It was likely that he would have been the third Rams receiver to earn over 1,000 receiving yards.
After the Rams preseason matchup against the Raiders, the team heads to Hawaii to face off against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 17. The first preseason home game of 2019 for the Rams will be on Aug. 24 against the Denver Broncos.
