Coach Sean McVay said Nacua suffered an ankle injury during Sunday's 17-3 win at Baltimore, and the wide receiver's status for next Sunday's game against the Jaguars in London is unknown, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Nacua initially sustained the injury with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter after he had his left foot rolled up on while attempting to break up a jump ball in the end zone. After going to the locker room, the Rams deemed him questionable to return, but he was able to check back in on the team's second possession after halftime. However, Nacua wasn't able to add to his first-half line (2-28-0 on three targets) after his return. L.A. will resume practicing Wednesday, by which point the Rams could have more clarity on the nature and severity of Nacua's ankle issue.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Checks back into Sunday's game
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Nacua (foot) re-entered Sunday's game against the Ravens in the third quarter, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.
After injuring his left foot on an incomplete Matthew Stafford pass attempt with 10:02 remaining in the second quarter, Nacua headed to the locker room and was deemed questionable to return. He was back on the sideline late in the second quarter but didn't play before halftime, then remained on the sideline for the Rams' first possession of the third quarter while he continued to test out his foot by running routes, per Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register. After his foot apparently responded well to the running workout, Nacua was back on the field for the second possession of the third quarter. Though he wasn't targeted on either of the Rams' two plays on the drive that culminated in a Tyler Higbee touchdown reception, Nacua looks like he'll be able to finish out Sunday's contest.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Exits with foot injury Sunday
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Nacua exited Sunday's game at Baltimore due to a foot injury, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site reports.
Nacua appeared to have his left foot rolled up on as he attempted to break up a jump ball in the end zone in the second quarter. He then went to the locker room, after which the team announced that he was questionable to return. Nacua gathered in two of three targets for 28 yards before his departure.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Totals 136 yards against Titans
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Nacua recorded eight receptions on nine targets for 91 yards in Sunday's 33-19 win over the Titans. He added one rushing attempt for a 45-yard touchdown.
Nacua made an impact in both conventional and unconventional fashion in Sunday's win. He kicked things off with a 45-yard rushing score early in the first quarter on an end around. Nacua then went on to add long receptions of 24 and 22 yards to cap off an excellent all-around fantasy performance. Through two games, he has 266 yards from scrimmage and 18 receptions.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Returns to Sunday's contest
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Nacua (head) returned to Sunday's game versus the Texans, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.
Nacua took a hit to the helmet at the end of a nine-yard catch on the Rams' second possession that caused a notable cut on his forehead. He was deemed questionable to return as he underwent a concussion check, but before getting back on the field, he was seen with a bandage over the wound, per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. Nacua will look to build upon the three catches (on four targets) for 23 yards that he put up prior to his earlier exit.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Evaluated for concussion Sunday
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Nacua is being evaluated for a concussion during Sunday's game against the Texans.
Prior to his exit from the contest, Nacua caught three of his four targets for 23 yards. In his absence, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield and Xavier Smith are the Rams' available wideouts.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Teaming up with Adams
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Nacua and Davante Adams are entrenched as the top two options in the Rams' revamped WR room, ESPN.com's Sarah Barshop reports.
Nacua is the only returning regular starter at wide receiver, with Cooper Kupp (Seahawks) and Demarcus Robinson (49ers) now playing for NFC West rivals. Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington are set to compete for the No. 3 job, which probably won't entail a ton of targets when both Nacua and Adams are healthy. Playing alongside Adams instead of Kupp will make it even harder for Nacua to approach last year's unsustainable, league-high 39.1 percent target rate, but he can potentially make up for a reduced share by playing more snaps (he took 487 in 11 regular-season games last year) and scoring more TDs (three).
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Contained by Jets
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Nacua caught eight of nine targets for 56 yards in Sunday's 19-9 win over the Jets.
Nacua accounted for more than half of Matthew Stafford's 110 passing yards as the Rams' passing game was stuck in first gear in freezing conditions. The second-year wideout fell short of 97 receiving yards for only the second time in his last seven games, but he'll be well positioned to bounce back in Week 17, when the Rams return home to host the Cardinals. That change in venue will be a welcome sight for the entire passing game after LA struggled to move the ball through the air in freezing conditions against the Jets.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Season-high 162 yards
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Nacua recorded 12 receptions on 14 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 44-42 win over the Bills. He added five rushes for 16 yards and an additional score.
Nacua accounted for 14 targets on 30 passes, and he showed strong rapport with Matthew Stafford throughout the high-scoring win. His longest reception of the day went for 21 yards, though he also had a pair of 19-yard grabs -- one of which went for a score to clinch the win and the other on an impressive leaping toe-tapping catch along the sideline. Nacua was also used as a runner and racked up a season-high five attempts, highlighted by a four-yard score. In seven games since returning from injured reserve, he's topped 100 receiving yards on four occasions.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Leading receiver Sunday
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Nacua brought in five of eight targets for 56 yards and a touchdown while adding seven rushing yards off one attempt in Sunday's 21-14 win over the Saints.
Nacua finished as the game's leading receiver despite posting modest totals, as neither side threw for more than 200 yards Sunday. The BYU product's touchdown grab late in the fourth quarter helped seal the win for Los Angeles while giving the wideout his second score in three games. Nacua will join Kyren Williams and Cooper Kupp as the Rams' top playmakers in next Sunday's home tilt against the Bills.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Season high in receiving yardage
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Nacua secured seven of nine targets for 123 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 28-22 victory against the Patriots.
The second-year wideout opened his monster performance with a 37-yard catch in the first quarter. Nacua made a diving grab for a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and while he appeared to be a little shaken up, he returned and continued to be a target hog, eventually eclipsing his season-high 106 receiving yards from Week 8 against the Vikings. The Cooper Kupp/Nacua duo put up a combined 13-229-3 receiving line Sunday but will be tested against a stout Eagles defense in Week 12.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Suiting up in Week 9
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Nacua (knee) is listed as active Sunday at Seattle, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.
In the wake of banging his right knee into the ground at Thursday's practice, Nacua didn't practice Friday and thus entered the weekend listed as questionable for Week 9 action. The Rams never seemed too worried about his availability, though, and his status now has been confirmed. Nacua will be facing a Seahawks defense that has conceded the ninth-most receiving touchdowns (eight) to opposing wideouts in eight contests this season.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Back in action in Week 8
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Nacua (knee) is listed as active Thursday against the Vikings, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.
Nacua missed the entire preseason slate due to a bursa sac issue, and while he was able to suit up Week 1 in Detroit, he aggravated the injury in that contest and landed on injured reserve. He officially was diagnosed with a PCL sprain in his right knee, which sidelined him for the Rams' next five games, but he was designated for return from IR on Tuesday, logged back-to-back limited sessions and then was activated Thursday, paving the way for his return to action. Cooper Kupp (ankle) also will be making his first appearance since Week 2, but he likely will be the Rams' leading pass catcher considering he was listed as full on all three of the team's Week 8 practice reports. Meanwhile, Nacua very well may be operating on some sort of snap count Thursday.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Appears likely to play Thursday
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Nacua (knee) remains listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Vikings, but the Rams are optimistic that he'll be available to play, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Nacua has missed the Rams' last five games while recovering from a PCL sprain in his right knee, but he took a monumental step forward Tuesday, when he was cleared to practice after being designated for return from injured reserve. Nacua was listed as a limited participant in practices Tuesday and Wednesday, and he'll presumably go through another workout early Thursday before the Rams decide on his status as the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff approaches. Since Nacua remains on IR, the Rams would have to officially add him back to the 53-man roster prior to the 4 p.m. ET deadline for roster moves in order for him to be eligible to play Thursday. Given the length of his absence along with the fact that he only recently resumed practicing a few days ago, Nacua could be eased back into action if he ends up playing Week 8.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: May miss more than four games
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Rams head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that Nacua (knee) has a "unique" injury that may require him to miss more than the required four games while on injured reserve, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.
The Rams conveniently have a Week 6 bye that affords Nacua and other teammates on IR some extra recovery time before a potential return Week 7 against the Raiders, but McVay's comments suggest that the second-year receiver is no lock to be ready for activation when first eligible. The team officially placed Nacua on IR on Wednesday due to a PCL sprain in his right knee that he suffered in Sunday's season-opening loss to Detroit, which was an aggravation of the bursa sac issue that he sustained Aug. 4. As long as Nacua is sidelined, Cooper Kupp will be the Rams' clear top wide receiver, with Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson the next players up at the position.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Headed to IR
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The Rams are expected to place Nacua (knee) on injured reserve during the upcoming week, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, head coach Sean McVay clarified his earlier comments from Monday and confirmed that Nacua is indeed headed for IR. In that context, the wideout will be eligible to return to action as soon as Oct. 20 against the Raiders. In Nacua's looming absence, Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington are candidates to see added work behind top wideout Cooper Kupp.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Week-to-week, needs more tests
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Nacua (knee) is considered week-to-week Monday after aggravating the right knee injury he dealt with during the preseason in Sunday's 26-20 overtime loss to the Lions, and he's scheduled to undergo further testing, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Nacua seems likely to miss at least the Rams' road matchup against Arizona in Week 2 as he works to recover from his aggravated knee injury, though the second-year pro may not receive a clear recovery timetable until after the conclusion of his remaining medical tests. Head coach Sean McVay previously called the injury that sidelined Nacua in training camp a bursa sac issue. As long as Nacua remains sidelined, Cooper Kupp will stand to benefit from increased target volume as the definitive No. 1 target for quarterback Matthew Stafford, while Demarcus Robinson will figure to step up as the No. 2 WR. Tyler Johnson could step into the No. 3 spot after he played 66 percent of offensive snaps Sunday against Detroit.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Slated for testing on knee
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Nacua is scheduled to undergo testing Monday after he exited Sunday's 26-20 overtime loss to the Lions with a right knee injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The wideout caught four passes (on seven targets) for 35 yards and added seven yards on one carry before he landed hard on his knee following a second-quarter reception and left the game. After getting evaluated on the sideline, Nacua checked back in for a few plays but eventually headed back to the bench and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest. The upcoming tests should shed more light on the nature of his injury, but Nacua's issue is with the same knee that bothered him in training camp and the preseason, when he was held out of practices for much of August due to what head coach Sean McVay labeled as a bursa sac issue. The Rams are back in action Sunday in Arizona, and a potential Nacua absence would likely mean more volume for Cooper Kupp as the clear No. 1 wideout. Demarcus Robinson, who caught four passes (on seven targets) for 42 yards against the Lions, would likely take on a bigger role as well, while Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington also could get additional opportunities.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Won't return against Lions
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Nacua (knee) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Lions.
Nacua briefly came back into the game after being ruled questionable to return in the first half, but he promptly exited again and needed a cart to get to the locker room at halftime. Having been ruled out for the second half of the season opener, Nacua's next chance to take the field will be next Sunday in Arizona.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Back at practice to start week
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Nacua (knee) returned to practice Monday, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.
Nacua may not be a full participant immediately, but he'll now have almost two full weeks to gear up before a Sept. 8 season opener at Detroit. Monday marks his first practice appearance since Aug. 4, when he suffered a bursa sac injury in his knee. Coach Sean McVay said Aug. 6 that he wasn't worried about Nacua's availability for Week 1.
