It is not a season-ending injury, and it will not require surgery or any other procedure.
That is the upside for the Rams and injured receiver Cooper Kupp based on coach Sean McVay’s comments Wednesday.
On a day the Rams placed safety John Johnson III and offensive lineman Jonah Jackson on the team’s seemingly never-ending list of players on injured reserve, the Rams did not take that step with Kupp, who suffered an ankle injury Sunday during a defeat to the Arizona Cardinals.
“As of right now, we won’t do that,” McVay said before the Rams began practice for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. “But it’s not like that decision has been finalized. But as of right now, we’re not going to go that direction.”
The injury-plagued Rams are 0-2 for the first time in McVay’s eight seasons.
Read more: Rams vs. Cardinals takeaways: Cooper Kupp’s durability continues to be a problem
Johnson and Jackson, who suffered shoulder injuries against the Cardinals, joined receiver Puka Nacua (knee), offensive linemen Steve Avila (knee) and Joe Noteboom (ankle) and cornerback Darious Williams (hamstring) on injured reserve.
Williams is eligible to return after the Rams play a Week 4 game against the Chicago Bears. Nacua, Avila and Noteboom are eligible to return after a Week 5 game against the Green Bay Packers, though McVay has indicated they could be out longer.
Johnson and Jackson are eligible to return after a Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kupp’s left ankle will be in a cast this week.
“I know he’s going to want to be back as soon as he can,” McVay said. “But I don’t want to put any expectations, or unnecessary things on him.”
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Although the Rams are losing players to injury at a frenetic pace, they could benefit from the return of two who served suspensions the first two games.
Left tackle Alaric Jackson, suspended for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, suspended for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023, this week rejoined all team activities and practices.
Alaric Jackson will start against the 49ers, McVay said.
“We certainly missed him in those two weeks that he wasn’t here,” said McVay, who declined to specify why Jackson was suspended. “He’s put that behind him. Want to be able to move forward.”
Logan Bruss, a 2022 third-round draft pick, will start at left guard in place of Jonah Jackson.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked twice in the season-opening defeat by the Detroit Lions, and five times against the Cardinals.
Read more: Hernández: Rams’ failure to protect Matthew Stafford threatens to derail more than their season
Now, with a new left side of the line, he will face a 49ers pass rush led by end Nick Bosa.
“I trust those guys to go in there to do, to the best of their ability, do their job at a high rate,” Stafford said.
The defending NFC-champion 49ers have defeated the Rams in nine of the last 10 regular-season games. The Rams only regular-season victory in that span came in the 2023 season finale, when both teams rested most of their starters.
The 49ers defeated the New York Jets in their opener, but lost Sunday to the Minnesota Vikings.
The 49ers will be without star running back Christian McCaffrey and versatile receiver/running back Deebo Samuel.
“Hopefully they’ll be OK,” McVay said. “But I’m not sad that they’re not playing against us.”
The 49ers still have quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, receiver Brandon Aiyuk and fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Running back Jordan Mason has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of the last two games behind a line that features left tackle Trent Williams.
“They are still as good as it gets offensively in this league,” McVay said.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
