The Los Angeles Rams grinded out another hard-fought win in Week 9 over the Washington Commanders, pushing their record above the .500 mark for the first time this season. However, the team lost superstar wide receiver Puka Nacua to a knee injury on its final offensive snap of the game, and it sounds like he is going to miss some time moving forward.
The offense will have to adjust in a big way without Nacua, who is expected to miss several weeks recovering from his new injury. However, in a surprise twist, head coach Sean McVay revealed that Los Angeles actually won’t be placing Nacua on injured reserve as expected, but there’s a notable catch that will quickly catch fans’ attention.
Sean McVay Reveals Why Rams Aren’t Placing Puka Nacua on Injured Reserve
After a bumpy offseason, Nacua has managed to overcome an early-season hip injury to remain one of the most important wide receivers in the league. The big plays and touchdowns obviously catch fans’ attention, but Nacua is a crucial part of several other aspects of the Rams’ offense, as he is a willing run blocker who also serves as the focal point of the team’s passing attack, which helps open things up for his teammates.
With Davante Adams on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, Nacua essentially became the only thing working for the Rams in the air. In seven games this season, Nacua has caught 70 passes for 715 yards and four touchdowns, and it’s not a stretch to suggest he just put together his best game of the year against the Commanders, as he tallied 14 receptions for 150 yards and a score.
Nacua got banged up on an ill-advised end around at the end of that game, and he ended up suffering a sprained MCL and PCL in his right knee, in addition to turf toe. Unsurprisingly, it’s going to take a couple of weeks for Nacua to get healthy, but according to McVay, he isn’t going to land on injured reserve. The caveat, of course, is that the reasoning is due to roster mechanics, which means Nacua is still going to miss a handful of games for L.A. moving forward.
Rams HC Sean McVay told reporters that the team will not place Puka Nacua on injured reserve due to roster mechanics, but that the WR still will be out for a ‘significant period of time,'” Adam Schefter of ESPN shared in a post on X.
Rams Have to Find a Way to Keep Passing Attack Afloat Without Puka Nacua
The decision not to place Nacua on injured reserve likely comes down to the number of players Los Angeles can activate off the list as the season progresses. Rather than placing him on injured reserve and having to use another activation on him, the Rams are going to bite the bullet and essentially have a 52-man roster for however long his absence ends up being.
With Nacua and Adams out, that leaves Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell, CJ Daniels, and Xavier Smith as the four healthy wide receivers left on the depth chart. The Rams will surely rely on their tight end depth and star running back duo of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, but somebody is going to have to step up at this position moving forward. Los Angeles will square off against the Arizona Cardinals in a big divisional clash when it returns to action in Week 10.
Rams’ HC Sean McVay Announces Unexpected Puka Nacua Injury News