Will Cooper Kupp return to Rams this season?

Cooper Kupp had surgery on his injured right ankle and will be out for six to eight weeks, according to a report on Sunday from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Kupp was injured on a high throw from Rams backup quarterback John Wolford in Week 10’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals and the news got from bad to worse after the game.

Now we know the estimated timetable for Kupp’s return. Is it enough time for Kupp to return to the field this season?

As of mid-December, Rams head coach Sean McVay says that is highly unlikely. The Rams will have to rest on Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, and Ben Skowronek instead.

The Rams play the New Orleans Saints in Week 11, their tenth game of the season. If this is the first of six weeks, then the end would be the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day in Week 16.

That could put Kupp on a timeline that allows him to return for L.A.’s final two games of the season: at the L.A. Chargers and in Seattle to face the Seahawks in the season finale. If the Rams managed to close the gap on the division lead or a wild card berth, then having Kupp available or even on game—especially against the Seahawks in Week 18—would be huge.

Kupp took to Twitter last week to express his own concerns about playing on grass, an ongoing topic at hand for NFL players, teams, and fans at the moment. Kupp missed half of the season and playoffs in 2018 but has otherwise been mostly healthy in his career. The 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Kupp has 75 catches for 812 yards and six touchdowns on the season.