Puka Nacua Injury: Rams Reverse Course, Put Star WR on IR
A day after saying he'd stay active, the Rams moved Nacua to IR. He'll miss at least four games, leaving Matthew Stafford without his top two receivers.
Wednesday, the Rams said Puka Nacua was staying on the active roster. Thursday, they changed their minds.
Los Angeles placed Nacua on injured reserve with MCL and PCL sprains in his right knee plus turf toe, which means the Puka Nacua injury will cost him at least four games, per ESPN. The Rams (5-4) are now without both of their top receivers.
Why the Rams flipped on Puka Nacua’s IR decision
Coach Sean McVay said Wednesday the team would keep Nacua active because of roster mechanics, even though he expected the receiver to miss a significant stretch.
That plan lasted one day. Putting Nacua on IR opened a roster spot, and the Rams used it to sign receiver Brennan Presley to the active roster and add Tyler Scott to the practice squad.
McVay now expects Nacua to miss what he called an extended period of time.
The games Nacua will miss
IR means four games at minimum. That stretch, per ESPN:
| Game | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Week 10 | at Arizona Cardinals (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET) |
| 2 | vs. Green Bay Packers |
| 3 | vs. Kansas City Chiefs |
| 4 | at San Francisco 49ers |
The earliest he can come back is Dec. 20 against the Dallas Cowboys, Yahoo Sports noted.
A record pace, stopped cold
This one hurts because of how good Nacua had been. He has 70 catches for 715 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. Those 70 receptions are the most ever through a player’s first seven games of a season, according to ESPN Research.
He was carrying the passing game. Nacua owns 27.6% of the Rams’ target share, the eighth-highest rate in the NFL, per CBS Sports. Last season he led the league with 129 catches.
He got hurt on a jet sweep late in Sunday’s 20-13 win over Washington, after missing Weeks 2 and 3 earlier this year with a hip injury.
Who catches Matthew Stafford’s passes now?
Davante Adams has been on IR since rupturing his hamstring in Week 6. With both stars out, Stafford’s receiver room leans on Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield and CJ Daniels, plus the newly promoted Presley.
That’s a thin group for a team trying to hang in the NFC playoff race. Bleacher Report pointed out the Rams still face Green Bay, San Francisco, Kansas City and Seattle twice, and the Packers hold the final wild-card spot at 6-3.
Puka Nacua injury: fantasy impact
If you roster Nacua, he’s an IR stash for at least a month. Don’t drop him: a healthy Nacua for the fantasy playoffs is still a weapon.
In the short term, nobody in this receiver room is a sure thing. Atwell has the speed to pop on a deep ball, and tight ends and running backs could pick up more short targets. Treat every Rams receiver as a desperation flex until we see how the targets shake out Sunday in Arizona.
The Rams are 9-point favorites against a Cardinals team expected to start Carson Beck at quarterback after Gardner Minshew’s injury. It’s the first real test of life without both Nacua and Adams.
For every kickoff time this weekend, see our NFL Week 10 schedule. The Rams’ last win came against the Commanders, who just stunned the Giants on Thursday night.
Sources: ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, The Sporting Tribune
