Rams may have to part with all-time great due to nagging injuries

The Los Angeles Rams may have to say goodbye to an all-time great in the near future due to some unfortunate nagging injuries. This now makes it the third year in a row he's dealt with injuries that include an extended absence, and the unfortunate reality for Cooper Kupp is that his body just is not keeping up with the intensity of the NFL anymore.

The LA Rams struck gold when they took Kupp in the 2017 NFL Draft, and he truly broke out in 2021, earning the Triple Crown, leading the NFL in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. It was a historically great season, but in a way, it signaled the beginning of the end.

Since the start of the 2022 NFL Season, Kupp has played in just 23 out of a possible 37 games. He's been on the field for 62% of the games since the beginning of 2022. That would be like if a player played in just 11 out of 17 games in a season.

Kupp is now 31 years old and is entering the final year or so with the LA Rams. These injuries keep piling up for Cooper Kupp, and that only makes it harder for the Rams to keep him around. The team has clearly embraced a bit of a youth movement in recent years, so Kupp's presence is becoming less and less crucial to the team.

Kupp has played just two full seasons of his NFL career, so injuries have always been a concern. At some point, his body was going to catch up with him, and it appears that he's hit that time. In 94 career regular season games for the LA Rams, Kupp has hauled in 585 receptions for 7,213 yards and 52 touchdowns.

Across a 17-game season, Kupp has averaged 106 receptions, 1,304 yards, and nine touchdowns. It's really a shame that he keeps getting plagued by injuries, as this could have been a Hall of Fame career that has been unfortunately derailed.

The Rams could make it work by releasing Kupp in 2025. They'd have to eat $14.78 million in dead money but would save $15 million on their cap. I am not sure there'd be a team out there that would want to trade for Kupp, especially if this turns into another injury-riddled season, so the Rams could do right by Kupp. Releasing him would allow him to sign with whatever team he pleases.

This would be the right thing to do, and it would be a typical Rams' move. The franchise is well-run from top to bottom and would certainly do right for one of their own, all-time great players. It's a sad reality at this point, but the time is coming for the Rams to eventually part ways with Cooper Kupp.