To start the 2023 season, the LA Rams are 1-2. They beat the Seahawks in Week 1, but have since lost to the 49ers and Bengals. At the moment, the team is still without All-Pro WR Cooper Kupp. He is on the IR for an injury that happened during the preseason. 

He’s missed the first three games of the season and will miss their Week 4 matchup vs. the Colts. When a player goes on the IR, they miss a minimum of four weeks. With this being his fourth, there’s optimism around the organization that Kupp could return in Week 5. Nothing is definite, but it would be a massive addition to the offense.

Rams’ Sean McVay is hopeful that Cooper Kupp can return in Week 5

Sean McVay says it’s still “the hope” that Cooper Kupp comes off IR on schedule and that he has progressed physically.

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 27, 2023

On August 1, Cooper Kupp suffered a hamstring injury. Close to the season’s start, the 30-year-old experienced a setback and had to be placed on the IR. Losing their best offensive player for the first four weeks was a real blow to the Rams. The one-time Super Bowl champion hasn’t played since Week 10 of the 2022 season. He suffered an ankle injury that cost him the rest of the season.

After his All-Pro season in 2021, injuries have limited his playing time for LA. At his best, Cooper Kupp is one of the top receivers in the NFL. The former third-round pick is reportedly “ramping up his workload” ahead of coming off the IR. That’s a positive sign Week 5 is truly when he will return.

Rams coach Sean McVay says the team is hopeful that WR Cooper Kupp could possibly make a return on Week 5.. pic.twitter.com/M693VOSqFI

— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) September 27, 2023

While Kupp hasn’t been available, another receiver for the Rams has stepped up in his place. The Rams’ fifth-round pick in the 2023 Draft, Puka Nacua, has fit in seamlessly with Kupp out. Nacua quickly became Mattew Stafford’s go-to target in the passing game. Through the first three games of his career, Nacua has 30 receptions for 338 yards. He’s still looking for his first touchdown, but the production he’s given the team as a rookie is incredible.

Nobody could have said when the season started that fifth-round pick Puka Nacua would be setting NFL records. Los Angeles needed a playmaker while Kupp was out and Nacua has filled that void. When Kupp returns to the lineup, Nacua will drop to WR2. However, he’s proved that he can give them WR1 production and has earned himself elite playing time as a rookie. He’s been on the field for 86 of the Rams’ offensive snaps so far in 2023.