Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay left open the possibility on Monday that receivers Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp could clear concussion protocol in time to play against the Denver Broncos.
“They felt good today,” McVay told reporters at the Rams’ training facility. “They didn’t have any symptoms or anything like that, so we’ll go through the standing operating procedure and if everything checks out with our guys and with the doctors that are part of that process then we are hopeful to get these guys this week.”
Cooks and Kupp entered the concussion protocol during the first half of Sunday’s 33-31 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Cooks suffered a concussion in the second quarter after he caught an 18-yard pass that he went on to fumble when he was hit by safety Tedric Thompson. The play was nullified by a defensive holding penalty. The collision between Cooks and Thompson appeared to be helmet-to-helmet, but no flag was thrown.
McVay said he would seek clarification from the league about the play.
“I don’t think there was any malicious intent on it,” McVay said. “But there are things that are always geared toward the safety of the players and any of those head-to-head contact collisions are things that we want to try to avoid and that’s something that they made a big point of.”
McVay said that Kupp suffered the concussion in the two-minute drill to end the first half when he split two defenders for an 11-yard reception and appeared to hit his head on the ground when he was tackled by linebacker Barkevious Mingo. Kupp played the ensuing five snaps to end the half.
“To his credit, he was able to communicate to us that he wasn’t feeling quite normal,” McVay said.
Kupp finished with six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Cooks did not have a reception.
Second-year pro Josh Reynolds and undrafted rookie KhaDarel Hodge took over in their absence. Reynolds, a fourth-round pick from Texas A&M, had two catches for 39 yards and rushed for 10 yards on one carry. Hodge, from Prairie View A&M, had one catch for 14 yards.