Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams could be without their top offensive playmaker for the foreseeable future.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain after he went down in Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. A source told Schefter that Kupp's prognosis "doesn't sound good."

Kupp suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game when attempting to catch a pass from quarterback John Wolford, who was starting in place of Matthew Stafford after he was ruled out for not clearing concussion protocol. Kupp was examined by the Los Angeles training staff before heading back to the locker room as the Rams went on to lose 27-17.

The 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Kupp is once again proving himself to be one of the best receivers in the league. He ranks second in the NFL with 75 receptions, fifth with 812 receiving yards and tied for fifth with six receiving touchdowns.

Losing Kupp for any amount of time will be a significant blow to the offense of the defending Super Bowl champions, which heavily depends on his production. According to ESPN's Sarah Barshop, Kupp accounted for 35.7 percent of the Rams' receptions entering Week 10, the highest mark in the NFL.

"He's arguably the best receiver in the league," Wolford said after the loss to Arizona. "He's a great leader for us and we'll definitely feel an impact to him not being out there, but guys got to step up and we've got to rally if he's not able to go."

The heavily depleted Rams (3-6) will look to end a three-game skid when they visit the New Orleans Saints (3-7) on Sunday.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp suffered an ankle injury in Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but he appears to have avoided the "worst-case scenario," per The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue.

Kupp's right leg got rolled up on after he jumped to try to make a catch near the sideline in the second half. He's expected to undergo more testing in the coming days, per Rodrigue.

After the game, Rams coach Sean McVay said things "didn't look good":

It's a tough break for Kupp, who is in the midst of a solid season despite the Rams' struggles. He entered Sunday's game with 72 catches for 813 yards and six touchdowns in eight games.

If Kupp is sidelined for an extended period of time, the Rams could be in trouble. No other receiver is even close to producing like the superstar has this season.

Tight end Tyler Higbee entered Sunday's game ranked second on the Rams with 312 yards, while veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson II had 248 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Ben Skowronek had posted 231 yards, but no other receiver behind him had hit triple digits.

Tutu Atwell and Brandon Powell figure to see more playing time if Kupp is sidelined moving forward, though Higbee and Robinson would continue to serve as L.A.'s top offensive threats.

Kupp has been mostly durable over his six-year career, appearing in at least 15 games in four of his first five seasons in the NFL. However, he tore his ACL during the 2018 season and appeared in just eight games.

The 29-year-old put together the best season of his career in 2021, catching 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns in 17 games. He earned an All-Pro selection and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

With a loss to the Cardinals, the Rams dropped to 3-6 on the season. With the injuries continuing to pile up, they look far from contending for another championship this year.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford appears unlikely to play on Sunday as he continues to recover from a concussion.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, John Wolford is set to start against the Arizona Cardinals barring a "drastic change" with Stafford.

Fowler also noted Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will test his hamstring injury in pregame warm-ups but also may not play.

Stafford, 34, has had a tough 2022 campaign after leading the Rams to a Super Bowl title last season, throwing for just 1,928 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 68.4 percent of his passes. The Rams are 3-5 and in a fight to return to the postseason.

The veteran quarterback has largely stayed healthy this campaign, though he was put in the concussion protocol after the team's Week 9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was a limited participant in Friday's practice and is officially listed as questionable.

Head coach Sean McVay told reporters he didn't have an indication Stafford might have suffered a concussion during that game, but the medical staff spoke to the quarterback after the contest and "then what they ascertained as a result of those questions made them feel like, 'Hey, the appropriate thing for the person and the player in this instance is to put him in the protocol.'"

"Whether or not that means he has a concussion or not isn't for me to truly understand," McVay added. "But there's the necessary steps that we need to take."

Wolford has served as a backup quarterback in Los Angeles since the 2020 season.

"John's a guy that when he's been in these situations, he's stepped in and done a really good job," McVay told reporters after Stafford had been placed in the concussion protocol. "And it wasn't too long ago that he had to come in in a game that we had to have to be able to get into the playoffs and he performed incredibly well."

That game came in January 2021, when Wolford took over for the injured Jared Goff in Week 17 and led the Rams to an 18-7 win over the Cardinals, throwing for 231 yards and an interception.

The Rams are hosting the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is in the NFL's concussion protocol, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday.

It's unclear how and when Stafford was injured. McVay said Stafford did not enter protocols until Wednesday. He played the entire game in Sunday's 16-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Elbow issues have plagued Stafford throughout his time in Los Angeles, but he's been able to consistently stay on the field. He played in all 21 games (regular season and playoffs) last season and has been in the lineup each of the team's first eight games in 2022.

Stafford has not been as effective as he was a year ago. Struggling to find the rhythm that made him an MVP candidate in 2021, Stafford has thrown for 1,928 yards and eight touchdowns against eight picks as the Rams have gotten off to a 3-5 start.

John Wolford would start if Stafford is not cleared ahead of Sunday's home game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward doesn't agree with the way Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey called out L.A.'s offense after Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ramsey felt the Rams offense should have been able to run out the final two minutes on the clock after the defense's stop on the penultimate Bucs possession. Instead, Tom Brady and Co. got the ball back and scored a touchdown to win 16-13.

Ramsey told reporters:

"The defense should not have had to go back on the field. Simple. Gotta have some dogs who are gonna go get it. We shouldn't come to the sideline after a big stop like that and our coaches or the other side or whoever telling us, 'We gonna to need y'all one more time. We gonna to need y'all one more time.' Like what the f--k? We just made a big stop, turnover on downs, with a minute and some change left and no timeouts for nobody."

Heyward was asked about those comments Tuesday on the Not Just Football podcast (27:30 mark of video below). He responded:

"You know, I can only speak for our team. When our offense comes up short you just think as a defense we gotta do more. Whatever it takes. We know it's not gonna be perfect on the other side of the ball, but we're provided an opportunity to win the game when we step on that field. I don't think it comes down to pointing the finger. I think it comes down to just understanding the situation that when one unit falls short the other unit's gotta step up."

Heyward's steady progression after the Steelers selected him in the first round of the 2011 draft allowed him to become one of the league's top defensive linemen. He entered 2022 with five straight Pro Bowl appearances and three First Team All-Pro selections over the past five years. He also fills a key leadership role for the club.

The 33-year-old Ohio State product has recorded 31 total tackles and three sacks in eight games this season.

Some of Ramsey's frustration likely stems from the fact that the Rams, the reigning Super Bowl champions, suffered their second straight loss to drop their record to 3-5. It hasn't been the type of title defense L.A. was expecting.

Regardless, clearly Heyward, whose Steelers stand at 2-6, doesn't believe in venting those types of grievances in the public.

Both teams will attempt to begin turning their seasons around Sunday. The Steelers host the New Orleans Saints at Acrisure Stadium, while the Rams welcome the Arizona Cardinals to SoFi Stadium.

Jalen Ramsey is fed up with the ineptitude of the Los Angeles Rams' offense.

The Pro Bowl corner ripped the Rams' lack of offensive production following Sunday's 16-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"The defense should not have had to go back on the field. Simple," Ramsey told reporters. "Gotta have some dogs who are gonna go get it. We shouldn't come to the sideline after a big stop like that and our coaches or the other side or whoever telling us, 'We gonna to need y'all one more time. We gonna to need y'all one more time.' Like what the f--k? We just made a big stop, turnover on downs, with a minute and some change left and no timeouts for nobody.

"Gotta have some dogs who are like, man, f--k all that, we are going to end this game right now. Good stop. We are going to end the game for y'all. We gotta play off each other in that sense. You know what I mean? That's what I mean by we should not have had to go out there. It is what it is. It ain't the first time that this has happened. This has happened multiple times this year, really. S--t."

The Rams' four fourth-quarter possessions went for a grand total of -1 yards, allowing Tom Brady multiple chances for a come-from-behind victory. As Brady usually does, he took advantage of said opportunities and hit Cade Otton for a one-yard touchdown with nine seconds remaining to win the game.

While it's rarely advisable to rip your teammates in a public setting, it's hard to find fault in Ramsey's frustration. The Rams offense has continued to look listless after a Week 7 bye and now sits 31st in yards per game and 29th in points per game.

Matthew Stafford has looked like a shell of himself after signing a $160 million extension, the run game has been missing in action, and Cooper Kupp has been the team's only consistent pass-catcher. Add in some issues on the offensive line, and Sean McVay's reputation as an offensive innovator has been dissolving before our eyes.

The Rams defense, by contrast, has done its job despite being put at a consistent disadvantage. Ramsey's himself recovered from an ugly start to the season to play at an All-Pro level and currently has an 86.0 grade from Pro Football Focus for the season.

"I don't necessarily think that it's the panic button, but changes have to be made, adjustments have to be made, we can't continue to go on like this and what that looks like, I don't necessarily have the exact answers right now," McVay told reporters.

Sitting at 3-5, the Rams are in danger of becoming the rare defending Super Bowl champion to not make the playoffs the following year.

NFL free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. spoke with Complex about what he's looking for in his next destination as he readies for his return to the league after rehabbing from a torn ACL.

Beckham noted that he's looking for a place to call home for the next three-to-four years and that he is tired of "living out of suitcases." The 30-year-old also noted he's already lived the "rock-and-roll lifestyle."

Beckham also said that top NFL teams with great win-loss records and high playoff aspirations have been calling him, noting that they know what he can do on the field.

FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reported Sunday that Beckham, who suffered a torn ACL last February during the Super Bowl when he was a member of the Los Angeles Rams, will be fully cleared by the end of this week. He also noted that the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Rams could be interested in bringing him in.

They will have competition. Of note, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Beckham is "firmly" on the Dallas Cowboys' radar.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen also seemed open to the idea of adding Beckham.

"He's been a good player," Schoen said, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post last Tuesday. "He's a guy we would consider and talk to when he's healthy."

Last year, Beckham joined the Rams midseason after parting ways with the Cleveland Browns. He played an instrumental role in the Rams winning their first Super Bowl in 22 years thanks to 48 catches for 593 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games (regular season and playoffs).

Perhaps he'll provide another team with a major midseason boost en route to a Super Bowl this year.

For now, the Beckham sweepstakes is on, and the three-time Pro Bowler should have a plentiful selection of teams to pick from.

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead maintained his blasé attitude toward draft picks ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Rams put two first-round picks and a second-rounder on the table for Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns. They were also willing to part with Cam Akers and picks in the second, third and fifth rounds for Christian McCaffrey.

The Panthers held onto Burns but sent McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers for 2023 second-, third- and fourth-rounders and a fifth-rounder in 2024.

The Panthers didn't initiate a total fire sale in the wake of firing head coach Matt Rhule, but they've clearly started focusing on a rebuild.

Burns is coming off a Pro Bowl in 2021, and he has five sacks to open 2022. Still only 24, he has a bright future ahead. Still, you can't help but wonder whether Carolina was better off cashing in on his trade value now.

By turning down Los Angeles' offer, the Panthers might have done the Rams a favor.

Snead's approach to team-building has served the franchise well in the short term. L.A. reached the Super Bowl in 2018 and claimed a title last year.

The downside to consistently leveraging draft picks into ready-made talent is becoming apparent now, however, with the Rams getting off to a 3-4 start. They've been hammered by injuries and lack the depth to compensate.

Los Angeles has an aging core and might face a painful transition when the likes of Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp and Jalen Ramsey retire. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported Wednesday on The Rich Eisen Show that head coach Sean McVay "in all likelihood" will leave when those four are no longer on the team.

The Rams already owe their 2023 first-round pick to the Detroit Lions as part of the Jared Goff trade. Losing out on two more first-rounders in pursuit of Burns would've further hamstrung Snead's ability to fill out the squad with young, cost-controlled talent.

At some point you have to demonstrate some faith in your own talent development.

Assuming he doesn't turn around and deal the picks later, Snead should send a gift basket to Panthers GM Scott Fitterer if he winds up getting valuable contributors in the first round in 2024 and 2025.

The Los Angeles Rams are activating running back Cam Akers for their Week 9 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

This comes after the team was unable to move Akers before the NFL trade deadline.

Head coach Sean McVay said in October the team had been looking to trade Akers to "help him look for a fresh new start with another team."

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported after the deadline that the Florida State product was "hoping for a fair resolution for his future beyond the Rams, as he feels suiting up for them again this season isn't in the best interest for his NFL path."

However, Schefter later reported Akers met with McVay and had "a good clearing of the air."

Akers had fallen out of favor in the Rams' passing-heavy offense. In the five games he was active, he split carries with fourth-year back Darrell Henderson Jr., who leads Los Angeles with 197 rushing yards.

In his five appearances this year, Akers ran the ball 51 times for 151 yards and a touchdown. He hasn't been active for the past two games because of personal reasons.

He showed promise during his rookie season, rushing for 625 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. He was poised to be the lead back for L.A. during his sophomore campaign, but that got derailed when he suffered a torn Achilles prior to the 2021 season. He managed to return late in the year, but he was used sparingly during the Rams' run to Super Bowl LVI.

Now, barring an unforeseen development, it appears Akers won't be going anywhere until 2023 at the earliest.