The Los Angeles Rams’ trip to London took a toll on the team this year as although they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals to move to 5-3, there was a key injury.
Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks was taken out of the game on the team’s opening drive after a helmet-to-helmet collision and did not return due to a possible concussion. Cooks was previously placed under the concussion protocol after a hard hit during the Rams matchup with the Seattle Seahawks during Week 5, although he did not miss any game action.
While Cooks was able to avoid a concussion last time, it does not appear he was able to do so this time around as he is in the protocol. Rams head coach Sean McVay gave a positive update on him heading into the bye week though, per Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Rams HC Sean McVay on WR Brandin Cooks (concussion):
“He’s feeling good. He’s very aware of what’s going on and he can talk about what occurred pre-concussion."
Team is sending Cooks to a specialist in Pittsburgh and hopes to get more clarity on his status from that.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) October 29, 2019
There is no telling how long Cooks might be sidelined, but the Rams’ bye week certainly comes at a good time. Cooks should hopefully have time to fully recover, but he could still potentially miss the Rams Week 10 matchup in Pittsburgh against the Steelers if his health does not improve.
Cooks has been one of the Rams key receivers this season, as expected. He has totaled 402 yards on 27 receptions with one touchdown catch in eight games.
Should Cooks be sidelined for Week 10 or longer, the Rams would replace him with another talented receiver in Josh Reynolds.
Reynolds has provided the Rams some insurance the last couple years, most notably stepping to fill in for Cooper Kupp last year when he went down with a torn ACL. Reynolds has 402 receiving yards last year, 304 of which came in the last six games of the season.
Of course, Kupp is on his way to a career best year and will also lighten the loss of Cooks. He ended up finishing Sunday’s matchup against the Bengals with a career-high 220 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions.
Having a backup as talented as Reynolds is a huge bonus for the Rams as they do not need to force Cooks, or any of their other wideouts, back from injury quicker than needed.
