Rams put Cooper Kupp on injured reserve with hamstring injury

The Rams placed star receiver Cooper Kupp on injured reserve Saturday with a hamstring injury, a major blow for a team that will open its season Sept. 10 at Seattle.

Coach Sean McVay announced this week that Kupp will not be available for a game against the Seahawks, but being placed on injured reserve requires the 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year to miss at least four games.

In addition to the opener against the Seahawks, Kupp will be missed against the San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts.

Kupp could return for the Oct. 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium.

It’s the latest setback for Kupp, who suffered an ankle injury last season that required surgery. On August 1, he suffered a hamstring injury during training camp.

Kupp hasn’t practiced since last week because of what McVay described as a muscle strain. He traveled to Minnesota last weekend to be examined by soft tissue specialists.

The 30-year-old Kupp has come back from several injuries throughout his career.

In 2018, he missed the Rams’ run to Super Bowl VIII due to a season-ending knee injury. In 2020, he suffered another knee injury that forced him to sit out an NFC divisional round loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Kupp was forced to miss the final eight games of the Rams’ 5-12 season in 2022 because of an ankle injury. He did not participate in the Rams’ offseason workout program – which is voluntary – so he could be with his family as they were expecting a third child.

Tight end Hunter Long (hamstring) was also placed on injured reserve.