Rams' Sean McVay on Cooper Kupp trade rumors: 'Not a move we want to make'

Rams coach Sean McVay isn't backing down.

Less than 24 hours after emphatically indicating that star receiver Cooper Kupp would not be traded, McVay was asked if he wanted to double down.

“This is not a step we want to take,” McVay said Friday during a video conference with reporters.

Kupp, 31, returned to the lineup Thursday night and helped the Rams defeat the Minnesota Vikings 30-20 at SoFi Stadium and improve their record to 3-4.

Kupp, who missed four games with an ankle injury, spent the days leading up to the game shutting down rumors that the Rams might move him before the Nov. 5 trade deadline.

Read more: With Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, Rams' Matthew Stafford is back up to speed

Kupp caught five passes for 51 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown. He also incurred several pass interference penalties.

McVay said after the game that the Rams had received inquiries from other teams about Kupp. He also said he was glad Kupp was back, “and I expect it to stay that way.”

The next morning he repeated it again.

“He’s a Ram and we expect it to stay that way,” McVay said.

Read more: The returns of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua provide excitement for the Rams against the Vikings

Receiver Puka Nacua also returned from a knee injury and caught seven passes for 106 yards.

The Rams play the Seattle Seahawks on November 3rd.

Offensive lineman Joe Noteboom has participated in practice sessions and offensive linemen Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson and safety John Johnson III are eligible to return from injured reserve.

“We’ll see,” McVay said of the injuries. “There's a chance we could get some of these guys back” for the game against the Seahawks or a Nov. 11 game against the Miami Dolphins on “Monday Night Football.”

Get the day's best, most interesting and strange stories from the LA sports scene and beyond in our newsletter, The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.