LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rams receiver Puka Nacua is expected to be out for at least a month after the All-Pro sprained ligaments in his right knee and developed turf toe during Los Angeles' win at Washington on Sunday.
Coach Sean McVay said Monday that the Rams expect to put Nacua on injured reserve. He'll join fellow star receiver Davante Adams, who has no set return date from his hamstring injury.
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McVay's offense will be without Matthew Stafford's top two targets for an extended period, a devastating blow to a team that began the season as a Super Bowl favorite. Nacua and Adams have 100 of the 120 receptions by Rams wide receivers this season.
“When these things happen, the first thing is you feel for the players,” McVay said. “They put so much work in, and it's so unfortunate, and then you question what you could have done to maybe avoid it. But he's such a tough competitor, and it's a big deal, and you feel for him.”
Nacua was injured on his final touch in the Rams' 20-13 victory over the Commanders when he took a hard tackle on a jet sweep. He had a brace on his knee after the game on the sideline, and McVay said an MRI exam revealed sprains to Nacua's MCL and PCL along with turf toe, a sprain in the big toe.
Nacua was hurt on a third-and-11 play before the Rams punted the ball back to the Commanders in the final minute of a seven-point game. McVay felt immediate remorse over his decision to put Nacua in that situation.
“I would be lying to you if I said I haven’t questioned the decision-making on that last play over and over in my head,” McVay said.
Nacua is the backbone of Los Angeles’ offense, making 70 receptions in just seven games for 715 yards and four touchdowns. He is among the most productive receivers in NFL history through his first four seasons, and he had 14 catches for 150 yards and a TD at Washington in his 10th career game with at least 10 catches for 100 yards.
But Nacua's physical style of play is a key to his success, and injuries inevitably follow. He missed two games in September with a groin injury after missing time in camp with a core muscle injury, and he strained his calf in practice late last month.
Nacua has missed only eight games in his career due to injuries, but five of those were in 2024 when he also sprained ligaments in his right knee.
McVay has spoken to Nacua over the years about reducing the amount of contact he takes.
“But that's like telling a tiger not to be a tiger,” McVay said.
McVay said last week that the Rams likely wouldn't swing a trade for a receiver despite losing Adams indefinitely. Nacua's absence appears to have opened the Rams' minds about the possibility of a deal, even though Los Angeles only has four remaining picks in next year's draft to use as capital.
“I think you've got to look at all avenues to try to be able to solve some of the issues that have come up,” McVay said. “A lot of new things occur on a daily basis, so I would never rule (a trade) out.”
McVay also said starting guard Steve Avila will be out for a significant period with a hamstring injury.
Avila is a key to the success of the Rams' running game behind an offensive line that has been remarkably stable for the past three seasons. The Rams aren't sure whether he will go on injured reserve because they are in danger of using up all eight IR slots from which a player can return during the season, McVay said.
That's because except for NFL MVP Stafford, essentially every big-name player or prominent newcomer on the Rams' star-studded roster has incurred a significant injury this season.
Two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett returned in Washington after missing seven games for knee surgery, delaying his impact on his new team. Garrett had three sacks in a dynamic return.
Trent McDuffie, the star cornerback acquired from Kansas City and signed to a large contract extension, missed his third game of the season at Washington with his second significant injury. Jaylen Watson, the ex-Chiefs cornerback signed to re-team with McDuffie in what had been a formidable tandem when healthy, is out for the season after repeatedly injuring his shoulder, leading to surgery.
“One of the things that I have been proud of with our team is we've lost a lot of guys, and it's just about, ‘Hey, let’s figure out how to be in the moment and take it one day at a time,'” McVay said. “Adjust and adapt. Figure out how to put all the pieces together and get the outcome we're hunting up, whatever that looks like. And it might be different than maybe what people thought, or what our plans were.”
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