Cooper Kupp Hamstring Injury: What We Know About All-Pro WR's Status

The NFL's 2023 regular season kicks off in a matter of days, but the status of the Los Angeles Rams' All-Pro wide receiver is still up in the air.

Cooper Kupp was in Minnesota on Monday seeing a specialist for his hamstring injury, head coach Sean McVay said. McVay added that Kupp remains day-to-day and that the team should know more about the former Super Bowl MVP's status for Week 1 later this week. The Rams open their new season against the Seattle Seahawks at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday. Will Kupp be on the field? And why do the Rams still need clarity on the injury?

Here's what to know about Kupp's situation.

What is Cooper Kupp's Injury?

Kupp suffered his injury during a training camp practice on August 1 and did not participate in any of the Rams' three preseason games.

The 30-year-old returned to practice last week before suffering a "setback." Kupp has not returned to the field since. McVay said the injury has been a "little bit out of the norm" compared to a typical pulled muscle or hamstring strain. Kupp played in nine games for the Rams before a season-ending ankle injury last season. A year earlier, Kupp won the "triple crown" by leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16).

"Here's what I'll say: I know how badly Cooper wants to be available and wants to be available for his teammates, so I first feel for him," McVay said. "The second thing is what we're not going to do is to get caught up with things that are outside of our control. I'm not doing that."

Will Cooper Kupp Play Week 1?

Before he suffered a setback to his injury, Kupp was intent on playing in Week 1.

"Game one, I'm playing," Kupp said on August 24.

That seems to have changed. Kupp has not been ruled out for Week 1 of the season as of Tuesday afternoon, though his participation in the game seems unlikely given his status. McVay said he anticipated having more information regarding the injury available on Wednesday.

"I think you just move forward, and you have to be able to operate with the situation and the guys we do have and if he's able to go then that's outstanding for us and, if not, then that's kind of how we've been operating," McVay said. "I think the most important thing is that whenever he's ready to take the field, whether that be this week, whether that be Week 2, whatever it is, as long as he's able to have that return to performance, he's feeling like the Cooper Kupp that we all know and love and he's got some clarity on, all right, what is really going on?"

The Rams are prepared to face off against the Seahawks without their former Offensive Player of the Year on the field. Kupp's absence has "forced growth and development" for the other members of the Rams' wide receivers room, including fourth-year pro Van Jefferson.

Kupp and the Rams went 12-5 and won the Super Bowl in 2021.

But last season, injuries to Kupp and starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, among others, contributed to a 5-12 campaign. Stafford said last month that Kupp will do what he needs to do to get healthy and back on the field.

"Whatever's going on, I know they're doing everything they can to work through [it]... and be back out here whenever it's the right time," Stafford said in August.

Cooper Kupp Fantasy Football Impact

Any fantasy football fans who drafted Kupp this summer may be regretting it.

The uncertainty behind Kupp's injury means that one of the premier fantasy football players in recent years suddenly became a risky pick. According to ESPN's fantasy football metrics, Kupp is—on average—going around 15th overall in snake-style drafts on the platform. Just last week, ESPN showed that Kupp was a lock to go in the top eight in most drafts.

For any leagues yet to draft, Kupp may be a player to avoid, according to one expert. Danny Heifetz, host of The Ringer Fantasy Football Show, said on X, formerly known on Twitter, that Kupp is no longer a first or second-round fantasy football pick in his eyes.