NFL Rumors: Los Angeles Rams Superstar Cooper Kupp Aggravates Hamstring Injury

The Los Angeles Rams offense has suffered a potential setback heading into the 2023 season. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp suffered his second hamstring pull of the offseason earlier this week, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the All-Pro is visiting with a specialist in Minnesota to better understand the nature of the injury.

#Rams star WR Cooper Kupp is in Minnesota today visiting with a noted body specialist to further understand his hamstring issue, sources say. With two pulls in one summer, the hope is to fully comprehend the root of the issue. Coach Sean McVay has described him as “day-to-day.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 2, 2023

Kupp has been sidelined for much of the summer due to a hamstring pull suffered in the early days of training camp. He briefly returned before exacerbating the injury, and head coach Sean McVay deemed him "day-to-day." Kupp missed eight games during the 2022 season due primarily to an ankle injury.

Kupp is the centrepiece of the Rams offense and was arguably their most valuable player during their 2021 Super Bowl season. He led the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1947), and receiving touchdowns (16) over the regular season and followed it up with a postseason for the ages, totalling 478 yards and six touchdowns over four games before taking home Super Bowl LVI MVP.

When healthy, Kupp was also perhaps the only bright spot of a fundamentally broken Rams offense in 2022. Despite the Rams finishing 27th in points scored, Kupp still averaged an impressive 90.2 receiving yards and 8.3 receptions per game, more than double any other player on the team.

The Rams will need Kupp at the peak of his powers if they're going to have any chance of bouncing back from an underwhelming 5-12 2022 season. Simply put, they've yet to prove they can resemble a competent offense without him. Travelling all the way to Minnesota this close to the regular season suggests there's real doubt he'll be 100% for the Rams' season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.