THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cooper Kupp made it clear on Tuesday: He wanted to return from his ankle injury last season.
The purpose of the tightrope procedure he underwent was to get back quicker, but it did not work out the way he wanted. Nearly seven months later, Kupp said he's "feeling really good" even as he continues the rehab process for it.
"The way that rehab goes, it feels like you kind of hit this point where you're in the middle of the season, rehab starts and we're kind of still going through it," Kupp said. "But honestly feeling really good."
Kupp sustained a high ankle sprain in the Rams' Week 10 loss to the Cardinals that led to him being placed on Injured Reserve and missing the remaining eight games of the regular season. He had 75 receptions for 812 yards and six touchdowns in those nine games he played prior to injury.
He continued that recovery process when returned on Tuesday. Asked if he would be cleared to go even if he wasn't dealing family matters, Kupp said he wasn't sure.
"I mean, you don't know until you're out here doing football stuff and really putting the ankle through the stuff that you know is required to play football," Kupp said. "You can't simulate this stuff. So I don't know if we'll really know. I feel right now as we've been pushing it pretty hard, I feel really good. And so I'm itching to be out there and it's a good place to be now where I feel like I'm asking for more and wanting to do more and feeling like you're getting held back versus feeling like they're pushing you to do more, you know? So we're in a good place now where I feel like I want to get out there and play and they're being cautious with it."
Kupp said Tuesday was the first time he's been able to go through a full day of stuff, though he's been making trips out to the facility every once in a while to the facility to get some rehab work in even as he tended to those family matters.
"And at the end of the day, as much as everyone here in the circle knows how much I love this game, how much I love these guys here, I had to be with my family," Kupp said. "It was something that I chose to do because that is a higher priority than football, so I had to be there. But I'm very glad to be back. No regrets about that. I love my time with my boys, with my wife. But yeah, it's good to be able to go through these days and be with these guys for a full day."
