Rams Cooper Cup is out for Week 1 against the Seahawks due to a hamstring injury

Thousand Oaks, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams future Cooper Cobb will be out Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, coach Sean McVay said, adding that Cobb’s availability after that time remains unknown.

The Rams could place Cobb on injured reserve, which would require him to miss at least four games, but McVay said Wednesday they may not have to do that.

“In terms of timeline, it could be anywhere if we decide to put it on IR, or it could be a few weeks,” McVay said. “I know he wants to be there badly, we want him to be there but we don’t want to rush it either.”

Cobb has been dealing with a hamstring problem since the start of training camp.

A league source said Cobb sought an evaluation from a specialist in Minnesota last weekend. McVeigh later confirmed the appointment at a press conference on Monday. Cobb and the Rams wanted more clarity on the nature of the hamstring problem they were having, which McVay said “doesn’t align with some of the things that end up happening for standard hamstring strains, just based on what’s happened over the last month and a half.”

Last Thursday, McVay said Cobb had suffered a “setback” in his recovery from the initial injury he sustained in the first week of training camp. Wed emphasized that the situation is the same issue, not separate strains/clouds.

McVeigh did not say what kind of specialist Cope was seeing. However, he said, Ramez, that specialist, and Cobb are trying to understand whether the problem is really a soft tissue injury, or more likely to be related to a neurological problem.

“There is a lot of gray behind this,” he said. “I’m not a doctor, so I can’t really answer anything else about it. I just know it doesn’t follow standard protocol when you’re aggravating a soft tissue injury. Still trying to understand what it is exactly…

“She’s just trying to figure out what’s going on with him. We’re trying to open all the avenues in terms of trying to figure out what’s going on, why he’s feeling certain sensations and things like that in his hamstring.

Cobb returned to training on August 21 and trained throughout that week, including in Denver for joint workouts with the Broncos.

Without Cobb, Van Jefferson takes on the No. 1 receiver role, while Toto Atuel and Buca Nakoa become No. 2 and No. 3. Deep receiver Ben Skoronek will likely play more on special teams this season than offense, but if Cobb is away for the season he knows every receiving position, too. The Rams signed veteran receiver Demarcus Robinson to a one-year deal that season as well.

The Rams also held four tight ends this year, led by veteran Tyler Higbee, but may only have three available in the coming weeks. Hunter Long will also be out on Sunday as he deals with a hamstring issue. Long missed the entire training camp with a groin/groin injury.

“I was hoping he (Cobb) could leave, but I have a lot of faith in the players,” McVay said. “That’s something we’ve probably thought is going to be the case for some time now. And that’s nothing new for us. Instead of just putting him to bed, we don’t have to keep answering questions. You want to be able to get Cooper back when he’s ready to go.” Meanwhile, plenty of players have been given ample opportunity to develop and bond with Matthew (Stafford) and the rest of the group.

Cobb, 30, earned more than a third of the Rams’ target quota in 2022, before suffering a season-ending ankle injury after nine games. He had his ankle surgically repaired and was cleared to participate fully at the start of training camp this summer, and did so until he suffered an initial hamstring injury that sidelined him a few days into those training sessions.

Kupp’s specific role as an “F” receiver, combined with his large number of draft picks, means that the Rams’ passing game and even their run blocking system have been significantly altered. The availability of a healthy Kupp with a healthy Stafford was a key point in the Rams’ belief that at least their offense could be competitive while they overhauled their defensive roster.

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(Photo: Kirby Lee/USA Today)