When the Rams take on the 49ers in Week 3, star wide receiver Cooper Kupp won't be joining his teammates on the field.

Unlike offensive lineman Jonah Jackson (shoulder) and safety John Johnson III (shoulder), star receiver Cooper Kupp did not go on injured reserve. Head coach Sean McVay said Kupp’s left-ankle injury is not season-ending and will not require surgery. He will be in a cast for the next week and then begin his rehab.

The Los Angeles Rams have elected not to put receiver Cooper Kupp on injured reserve with the hopes he could still recover from his ankle injury in a shorter time frame.

Kupp has racked up 18 catches for 147 yards and one touchdown through two games this season, leaving early in the second contest. Kupp is one of the main engines that makes the Rams offense click so losing him for any extended amount of time is a detriment to their playoff chances.

Per NFL Media, Kupp will spend the next week or so in a cast to help fight the swelling in his leg. There is a chance he is ready to return to the field within four weeks, so the team has not placed him on injured reserve yet. It all depends on how he heals, as McVay even initially admitted Kupp was expected to miss "extensive time."

Kupp injured his ankle during the Rams' 41–10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and had to be helped to the locker room. This is the fourth time since the 2022 season that Kupp has dealt with an ankle injury.

The Los Angeles Rams decided not to place wide receiver Cooper Kupp on injured reserve with the high-ankle sprain that he suffered against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but he is in a cast to help the swelling go down despite still being eligible to return within four weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.