Sean McVay is happy to have Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp back out on the field and "expects it to stay that way".

The Rams caused an upset on Thursday, beating the Minnesota Vikings 30-20 as they were boosted by the returns of Kupp and Puka Nacua, playing together for the first time since their opener.

It is the first time the Rams have recorded back-to-back wins this season, and scored a season-high 30 points, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive games with fewer than 30.

Kupp recovered from a left ankle sprain he suffered in week two to play the Vikings, and had five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.

In the build-up to the game, there was trade speculation over the 31-year-old, with LA reportedly approaching teams about him before the November 5 deadline, but McVay was quick to shut down the idea.

"I'm really glad to have Cooper Kupp back with us and I expect it to stay that way," McVay said.

"Teams reached out," he added when asked about the trade speculation. "Some of the things that I've seen out there, they're just not true.

"We've addressed that with those individuals. Teams have called about him, and we let him know what the dialogue was there. And then there's a lot of stuff out there where there's not a lot of accountability to the reports. And that's unfortunate."

Nacua, meanwhile, was only activated to play on Thursday, having recovered sooner than expected from a posterior cruciate ligament in week one.

He led the team with seven catches for 106 yards on nine targets, making it his eighth career game (out of 19 played) with 100 receiving yards.

Overall, McVay was pleased with the spark that the pair's return provided to the team.

"There's a confidence, there's a comfort, there's a rapport that's been established with Matthew [Stafford] and Cooper over the years and then Puka and Matthew last year and then leading into this season," McVay added.

"And so, these guys are ballers. Matthew brought out the best in everybody. But I thought Puka and Cooper were ready to go. They made an impact."

Super Bowl champion head coach Sean McVay has informed the Los Angeles Rams he will return for the 2023 season, the team announced on Friday.

McVay had been pondering his future following the conclusion of a difficult 2022 campaign that ended with Sunday's overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. 

The 2017 NFL Coach of the Year confirmed he was weighing up his options when speaking at Monday's end-of-the-season press conference.

The Rams dropped nine of their final 11 games to finish 5-12, the highest loss total in a season for any team defending a Super Bowl title, amid a mounting swarm of injuries to several key players that included quarterback Matthew Stafford, 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.

"I think what I liked to do is be able to take the appropriate time," McVay said on Monday. "I've never gone through anything like this, but you want to make sure that you're considerate of the people that are affected.

"That's the most important thing and you want to be able to have the consistent conversations and dialogues that have existed with the people that I love and really care about.

"But that doesn't mean it takes away the empathy, the level of responsibility that I do feel for the people that would be affected as it relates to my decision moving forward, and so those are the things that you don’t take lightly.

"You want to be able to make sure that you're intentional about taking the appropriate time, while also making a decision in a manner that's considerate of those people that would be affected."

McVay, who at age 36 became the youngest head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with the Rams' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last February, has four years remaining on a new contract he received prior to the start of this past season.

The Rams reached the playoffs four times in McVay's first five seasons in charge and won 55 regular-season games over that span, tying him with Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin for the third-most victories of any coach through his first five seasons in NFL history.

McVay is also the youngest head coach to lead a team to a Super Bowl after guiding the Rams to the title game during the 2018 season at the age of 33.

The Rams have compiled a 60-38 record with three NFC West titles during McVay's tenure, as well as a 7-3 mark in postseason play.

Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald will likely miss the rest of the season due to injury, coach Sean McVay revealed on Friday.

The star defensive tackle has been absent for the Rams' last two NFL games after sustaining an ankle injury in the 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on November 27.

McVay's men are already out of postseason contention at 4-10 following injury problems surrounding Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp and a host of other players.

Donald will remain sidelined along with that pair for Sunday's clash with the visiting Denver Broncos and McVay does not expect the 31-year-old to feature again this season for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

"Probably not," McVay responded when asked if Donald would feature again with three games left of the Rams' campaign.

"I just think, 'Will he be fully cleared to be Aaron Donald?'. And if he is, talk to him and see. But if not, we'll err on the side of being smart with him.

"But obviously, he's a guy that has certainly earned the right where you talk to him. But he's not cleared yet and I don't know that I see that changing in the next couple of weeks."

If Donald does not return, he will end 2022 with 49 tackles, five sacks, 10 tackles for loss and one forced fumble from his 11 games.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was named to a ninth straight Pro Bowl on Monday.

Matthew Stafford lost his season to a neck injury, but the Los Angeles Rams quarterback is adamant his NFL career is not done.

Having led the Rams to Super Bowl LVI glory in his first year in LA, Stafford's second season has not gone to plan.

The former Detroit Lions QB underwent elbow surgery in the offseason and did not look the same player as the 2022 campaign began.

In nine games with Stafford under center, the Rams were 3-6, with the QB throwing only 10 touchdown passes and eight interceptions for a passer rating of 87.4 – his worst since 2014.

Stafford had averaged 287.4 yards per game in 2021 but only topped that mark in one game this year.

A spinal cord contusion then cut Stafford's season short in Week 11, prompting concerns around the 34-year-old's long-term future.

But in an appearance on his wife Kelly's The Morning After podcast, Stafford responded flatly to a question asking if he would retire: "No."

Stafford signed a four-year, $160million extension with the Rams in March, and the team are confident he can avoid surgery ahead of a 2023 return.

Coach Sean McVay said earlier this month: "He'll be good. To my knowledge, there's nothing like that [surgery] that's going to be required or necessary.

"And it will be great for Matthew to have a healthy offseason and do a lot of the things that I think he'll feel good about being able to do."

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay acknowledged 2022 has been "a very humbling season" after the Super Bowl champions were eliminated from playoff contention.

Less than a year on from winning Super Bowl LVI, an injury-wrecked Rams side slipped to a 24-12 loss against the Green Bay Packers on Monday to officially put the postseason beyond their reach.

No Baker Mayfield heroics were able to save them this time around, and with a 4-10 record, they are tied with the 1999 Denver Broncos for the most losses coming off claiming the sport's biggest prize.

Asked whether he could have imagined his side's underperformance just months on from the greatest high of all, McVay acknowledged it had been a chastening campaign for his team and himself.

"I think it's hard to say that you could [have expected this]," he said. "You certainly can't, but this is the reality that we're in, and this is where we're at.

"My job is to focus on [finishing] up the season with the right competitive spirit, with the mindset and mentality that's reflective of who those guys are in the locker room and who those coaches are.

"There's been a lot of things I've thought about that I think you can make sense of, but it still doesn't make it any easier. It's a very humbling season, for sure."

McVay was adamant the Rams will not fold in the remaining weeks of the campaign, even with only pride to play for now, and credited his team for their performances amid a number of trying situations.

"This has been a real struggle in a lot of instances, a lot of adversity that we've gone through," he added. "But I think what we've seen from our guys is they're going to continue to battle.

"They're going to finish up these last three games the right way, with the right mindset and mentality, and we'll compete to the best of our ability.

"That's all I know how to do, and I trust that that's exactly what we'll do collectively as a group."

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay acknowledged 2022 has been "a very humbling season" after the Super Bowl champions were eliminated from play-off contention.

Less than a year on from winning Super Bowl LVI, an injury-wrecked Rams side slipped to a 24-12 loss against the Green Bay Packers on Monday to officially put the postseason beyond their reach.

No Baker Mayfield heroics were able to save them this time around, and with a 4-10 record, they are tied with the 1999 Denver Broncos for the most losses coming off claiming the sport's biggest prize.

Asked whether he could have imagined his side's underperformance just months on from the greatest high of all, McVay acknowledged it had been a chastening campaign for his team and himself.

"I think it's hard to say that you could [have expected this]," he said. "You certainly can't, but this is the reality that we're in, and this is where we're at.

"My job is to focus on [finishing] up the season with the right competitive spirit, with the mindset and mentality that's reflective of who those guys are in the locker room and who those coaches are.

"There's been a lot of things I've thought about that I think you can make sense of, but it still doesn't make it any easier. It's a very humbling season, for sure."

McVay was adamant the Rams will not fold in the remaining weeks of the campaign, even with only pride to play for now, and credited his team for their performances amid a number of trying situations.

"This has been a real struggle in a lot of instances, a lot of adversity that we've gone through," he added. "But I think what we've seen from our guys is they're going to continue to battle.

"They're going to finish up these last three games the right way, with the right mindset and mentality, and we'll compete to the best of our ability.

"That's all I know how to do, and I trust that that's exactly what we'll do collectively as a group."

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is expected to clear concussion protocol and play in Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, according to head coach Sean McVay.

The reigning Super Bowl QB missed the Rams' 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but returned to practice on Wednesday.

McVay indicated he expected Stafford to clear protocol by Friday, having entered on November 8 in the days after their 16-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"The doctors are making sure, everybody, himself, his family, feels good about it," McVay told reporters. "That's always been the priority, the person, the safety, the health.

"But if he is fully cleared and he and his family feel good about that, then I know he's chomping at the bit to be out there with his guys."

McVay said if Stafford was cleared as late as Friday that would not impact his availability for Sunday's game.

"It's not going to inhibit his ability to participate in practice, be a full participant in meetings, all that kind of stuff," he said. "It's just kind of following the necessary steps to fully be cleared."

John Wolford, who stepped in for Stafford but struggled against the Cardinals, did not practice on Wednesday due to a neck issue.

Stafford has a 68.4 per cent completion rate this season, passing for 1,928 yards and eight touchdowns and eight interceptions for the Rams who are 3-6 and last in the NFC West.

The Rams will definitely be without wide receiver and 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp who has undergone ankle surgery following an injury sustained against the Cardinals.

"It's going to give a lot of guys an opportunity to step up," McVay said. "Anytime you lose a guy like that, you never replace him.

"Cooper, we all know what a special player, special person he is. That's a big loss, without a doubt, but it will provide a lot of opportunities for other guys to get chances that they wouldn’t otherwise. You have to look at it through that lens."

Saints head coach Dennis Allen confirmed they will stick with quarterback Andy Dalton for Sunday's game, despite considering a change to Jameis Winston who is available again after injury but not yet 100 per cent.

The Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl title defence has become significantly more difficult with star wide receiver Cooper Kupp heading to injured reserve.

Coach Sean McVay told reporters on Tuesday that the 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year will undergo tightrope surgery for his high-ankle sprain.

The recovery time is expected to be about five to six weeks, meaning it is possible Kupp could return for one of the Rams’ final few games.

It is also possible, however, the Rams ultimately decide to shut him down for the rest of the season if they are out of the playoff picture.

The Rams fell to 3-6 after Sunday’s 27-17 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Kupp was injured against the Cardinals when he jumped in an attempt to make a catch and his right ankle was rolled over by a defender upon landing.

He has been one of the few bright spots in the Rams offence, ranking second in the NFL in receptions (75) and fifth in both receiving yards (812) and receiving touchdowns (6).

"Obviously you never ever replace a player like Cooper Kupp, but we've got to figure out the best way to accentuate the skill sets of the guys that will be playing," McVay said.

In 2021, Kupp became just the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

He played a crucial role in the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl, catching 33 passes for 478 yards and six touchdowns in four playoff contests, including eight receptions for 92 yards and a pair of TDs in the title game.

Although he is enjoying another stellar season, the Rams rank 29th in scoring (16.4 points per game) and 31st in total yards (282.7 per game).

Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson will likely see larger roles in the offence in Kupp’s absence.

The Los Angeles Rams are unclear on the severity of the ankle injury that forced Cooper Kupp out of Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but head coach Sean McVay says "it didn’t look good".

Kupp clutched his right ankle when he landed awkwardly trying to catch a fourth-quarter John Wolford pass and was checked by the Rams medical staff before walking to the locker room.

The Rams wide receiver, who also hurt his right ankle late in their Week 8 game but played the following week, did not speak to media afterwards.

"I don't have anything right now," McVay told reporters. "I just know it didn't look good, it didn't sound good."

Kupp, who won last year's Super Bowl MVP, has been the Rams' key offensive player this season. The wide receiver has 72 receptions for 813 yards with six touchdowns, with one rushing TD from nine carries this season.

The Rams' latest loss left the Super Bowl LVI champions with a 3-6 record, sitting last in the NFC West after three straight losses.

Kupp enjoyed an historic 2021 season, becoming the fourth player in NFL history to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in the same season, alongside Jerry Rice, Sterling Sharpe and Steve Smith Sr.

The 29-year-old had 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns in the 2021 regular season, before adding 33 receptions for 478 yards and six touchdowns in the postseason.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has entered the concussion protocol putting him in doubt for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed on Wednesday that Stafford had entered the protocol on Tuesday with medical staff performing their "cleanup after the game" from Sunday's 16-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Stafford has not missed an NFL game since 2019, but if he is unavailable, John Wolford would be the Rams' starting quarterback.

"We'll take it a day at a time with him," McVay told reporters. "We're still anticipating and having the optimistic approach that there's a possibility that he'll be ready to go."

McVay added: "I know Matthew's going to do everything in his power to try to be able to be ready and we'll just take it a day at a time.

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

McVay clarified that Stafford had not shown any indication that he was dealing with concussion symptoms during Sunday's game. He said medical staff "determined that they felt like that [entering protocols] was the best thing for him".

Stafford completed 13 of 27 passes for 165 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions against the Bucs. He was sacked four times in the game.

The 34-year-old Super Bowl LVI champion has a 68.4 per cent completion rate for 1,928 passing yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions this season.

The Rams are 3-5 and third in the NFC West, while the Cardinals are 3-6 and fourth in that division.

Cooper Kupp is hopeful he dodged "a bullet" with the right ankle injury he sustained late in the Los Angeles Rams' defeat to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

The wide receiver was taped up during the postgame news conference, having looked to have rolled his ankle in the fourth quarter of his side's 14-31 loss, sparking fears of a potential lay-off.

But Kupp is optimistic he has not done serious damage as he waits to discover the extent of his injury.

"It just got rolled up a little bit," he said. "[My] foot got caught, but I think it was able to slide out of there before there was too much damage done.

"So, we'll see over these next few days how it responds. Right now, things are pointing towards dodging a bullet."

Rams head coach Sean McVay felt he should not have put Kupp - who made eight catches and scored a touchdown - in the position to suffer the injury in the first place.

The 29-year-old has no issue with his boss, stressing that such an injury is simply the nature of the game.

"Beyond just the coach that he is, he cares about his guys and about his players, and so I know he feels bad about that," he added.

"But at the end of the day you're playing a football game. So I obviously don't hold anything against him in that regard.

"It's a violent random game, and you play it as hard as you possibly can until the fourth quarter hits zero. And I can respect that and appreciate that."

Cam Akers will miss the Los Angeles Rams' Week 6 clash against the Carolina Panthers for personal reasons.

Rams coach Sean McVay revealed running back Akers will play no part when the Panthers visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

McKay stated that the situation is "uncharted territory" for Akers and the Rams (2-3) amid reports he could be traded.

Asked about Akers' future with Los Angeles, he replied: "We're working through some different things right now, so hopefully you guys understand and respect that."

Akers missed the majority of last season due to an Achilles injury.

The 23-year-old has made only 151 yards from 51 carries in five games in 2022, scoring just one touchdown. 

McKay will be looking for a big contribution from Darrell Henderson in the absence of Akers this weekend, while Malcolm Brown is also on the active roster. 

Odell Beckham Jr hit out at the Los Angeles Rams for offering him the "lowest of low" contracts, though Sean McVay expects his side will go back in with new negotiations.

The Rams wideout suffered an ACL injury in February's Super Bowl LVI as Los Angeles narrowly defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 at their home of SoFi Stadium.

Beckham Jr signed a short-term deal with the Rams last November, though it was expected he would re-sign after an impressive postseason.

The 29-year-old is yet to find a new NFL side as he remains a free agent, but a reunion with the Rams appeared seemingly unlikely after Beckham Jr revealed his disappointment with his former team.

"LA knows where I wanted to be… but they didn't offer me….anything!," he posted on Twitter.

"So [I don't know] what people want me to do, I definitely know my worth and what the offer was isn't reflective of that.

"So it's tough to say that I can come on back even though I thought I finally found that home!

"But yes, LA treated me normal and special all in the same breath, we see how that played out! For both sides.

"I went out to win a [trophy] there knowing the risk of playing without an ACL… and then I got the lowest of low offers after that going into the next season."

Beckham Jr ended the series of posts with "Impossible" followed by two laughing emojis, suggesting he values himself far above what the Rams offered.

The Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs are said to be the favourites to sign Beckham Jr, though Rams coach McVay claimed negotiations are far from over.

"I love Odell," McVay told reporters. "We have constant dialogue. He also knows that certainly I don't think that's the last [offer] that would come from us. I'm not familiar with what it is.

"He knows how we feel about him. We've got a little bit of time. But [I] love Odell. Nothing but good things coming from me."

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford needs help, according to head coach Sean McVay.

The Super Bowl LVI champions suffered their third loss of the season, with Stafford and the offense struggling again in a 22-10 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

The Rams have managed only one touchdown in their past nine quarters, with Stafford finding wide receiver Cooper Kupp in a 75-yard catch and run against the Cowboys.

Stafford has also been left banged up with the Rams' offensive line cursed by injuries, allowing five sacks on Sunday, for a total of 21 for the season. The QB was also pressured 20 times by the Cowboys defense, the equal second most in a game for Stafford's career.

"I love Matthew Stafford," McVay told reporters. "He is competing and doing everything in his power for this team. He needs some help. We've got to be able to help him."

McVay had no quick fixes for his side's offensive line issues, while he continued to back Stafford.

"I think he's doing everything he can," he said. "I think he needs more help. Guys got to play better around him.

"We've got to be able to help him be able to give himself a chance to sit on his back foot, just past even a hitch on some things.

"I'll ride with that guy to the end of time. And he's continuing to do everything in his power to try to help our team move the football, score points and we've got to be able to help him out more."

Stafford completed 28 of 42 attempts for 308 yards with one interception against the Cowboys, showing that he has been able to play through pain after copping so many hits.

"I feel OK," Stafford said. "It's part of the game."

"We've got to find a way to get the ball in the end zone. Got to do a better job sustaining some drives, giving ourselves some more manageable situations and find a way to get more points."

Sean McVay accepted he made "some bad play calls" and declared the Los Angeles Rams brought defeat upon themselves as they fell to the San Francisco 49ers.

Monday night's 24-9 loss saw the Rams fail to capitalise on several touchdown opportunities, with McVay pointing to "self-inflicted wounds".

San Francisco's Deebo Manuel caught six passes for 115 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown, and when the Rams were still in the game, at 17-9 in arrears, quarterback Matthew Stafford was intercepted by Talanoa Hufanga. That pick-six summed up the Rams' night.

"I liked the way our guys battled, they competed and got it to a one-possession game," said McVay.

"But the story of the night from an offensive perspective was self-inflicted wounds, above-the-neck errors where we're not doing things we're capable of, and I expect us to be better than that.

"Defensively, I know we continue to battle, we gave ourselves a chance. We can tackle better, you credit them for making the plays, and I thought special teams hung tough, but overall we didn't do enough to win the football game.

"I'm not going to make any excuses. We've got to play better. A lot of it was just things where guys we were counting on didn't do what they were supposed to do."

McVay took his share of the blame, saying: "I put us in some bad spots.

"However you want to cut it, we have to be better collectively, coaches and players.  There's no other way around it and no way I know how to fix it other than go back to work."

The Rams will face the Dallas Cowboys, who are on a three-game winning streak, in Week 5.

"Everybody needs to be able to look inward," said McVay. "In the red area, to have three good drives and only come away with nine points in a game that was a back-and-forth battle like that, that ended up being the difference.

"And when you do make it a one-possession game and you've got some momentum, a couple of game first downs and we throw an interception for a touchdown on a screen, those are the things that don't help you win games."