The Los Angeles Rams are hoping the 2023 season will be much more like their 2021 campaign.
That year they were the Super Bowl champions and everything seemingly went their way.
But, last season could not have gone much worse in LA.
Not only did they struggle to win games, but most of their best players got injured.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp both missed a substantial amount of time.
Both were expected to be full-go for the 2023 season until Kupp suffered another injury in training camp.
Kupp suffered a hamstring injury on August 2 and has yet to return to practice.
According to Andrew Siciliano, Kupp said the hope is for him to return to practice this week.
“That’s the hope. I mean, that’s the plan. I’m feeling really good.”@CooperKupp told me and @AndrewWhitworth last night that he could return to @RamsNFL practice this week in Denver. Kupp has been out since an August 2 hamstring injury. pic.twitter.com/PTONm88RKq
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) August 20, 2023
Kupp has been one of the most dominant receivers in the NFL over the past two seasons.
When he is on the field he is essentially unstoppable.
Kupp had a historic season in 2021, recording 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns.
For the Rams to return to Super Bowl contention, Kupp must stay healthy.
The Super Bowl window of this team is not large due to an aging roster.
But, they should have at least another two years of being in contention.
Outside of Kupp, keeping Stafford on the field is the most important thing.
When he went out last season the Rams fell off a cliff.
If Stafford and Kupp can get back to having consistent success, the Rams may be one of the best teams in the NFC.
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