Can Rams trust Cooper Kupp to stay healthy? Recent trade erodes WR depth.

Can Rams trust Cooper Kupp to stay healthy in 2024?

In many ways the Los Angeles Rams are a young and ascending team that should be competitive for years to come under an invigorated Sean McVay. In other ways the team still has an aging core—even after the retirement of legendary defender Aaron Donald—and will depend on several older veterans for key roles in 2024. Despite their advanced football ages, the Rams need Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Rob Havenstein, Darious Williams, and Tre White to stay healthy and help the team return to the playoffs this upcoming season. Several of these players have had extended battles with injuries since 2022, including Stafford, Kupp, and White.

While there may not have been an easy path to the field for WR Ben Skowronek this year, especially after LA used a sixth round pick on Jordan Whittington in the NFL Draft, it’s still worth keeping around a player with three years of experience in McVay’s offense as insurance for Kupp and others. Instead, the Rams were compelled to trade Skowronek to the Houston Texans as part of a late round pick swap in 2025.

Rams WR depth chart post-Skowronek

Kupp has spent the majority of the last two seasons either on the sidelined injured or not looking like his normal self even when he was able to play. After earning the receiving triple crown in 2021 where he amassed 145 receptions, 1,947 yards, and 16 touchdowns over the regular season, Kupp has played in just 22 of 35 possible games since. Last year Kupp was held to 61.4 yards per game over the regular season, and then in the playoffs against the Detroit Lions he managed just five catches on nine targets for 27 total yards.

More concerning is that Kupp isn’t the only uncertainty in the wide receiver room. While Puka Nacua had an incredible debut as a rookie, he plays a very physical brand of football and visibly fought through ailments throughout 2023. Nacua played in all 18 games for the Rams last year and amassed over 1,000 snaps. Is it fair to expect him to shoulder the same load moving forward? Kupp being absenct would force Nacua back into a lead role and the focal point of the offense.

The Rams are fortunate to have two star caliber receivers atop the depth chart; however, the talent beyond the first two strings is questionable at best.

Demarcus Robinson, though he produced at an impressive clip to close 2023, is a career NFL journeyman and spot starter. Tutu Atwell has flashed promise over his first three professional seasons, but he’s best leveraged as a role player and situational contributor. LA re-signed veteran WR Tyler Johnson for depth. He made just one appearance—the regular season finale against the San Francisco 49ers when starters were resting—and caught two passes for eight yards and a touchdown from Carson Wentz.

It may be unfair to ask any other receiver that may make the roster after Robinson, Atwell, and Johnson to contribute in 2024. The options to make the team thereafter would be rookie Jordan Whittington, 2023 UDFA Xavier Smith, and 2024 UDFA’s JJ Lapp, Drake Stoops, and Sam Wiglusz.

While Ben Skowronek was a niche player, he was still a unique chess piece with plenty of experience in the Rams offense. After reviewing LA’s depth after the team traded away Skowronek, I’m left wondering if the Rams would have been better off keeping Skowronek around for now. Time will tell if it was the correct move.