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: Moves to IR
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The Rams placed Nacua (knee) on injured reserve Wedensday.
As expected, Nacua will now miss at least the Rams' next four games after landing on IR. In his absence, fellow wideout Cooper Kupp should be locked in as the clear-cut top target for quarterback Matt Stafford, while wideouts Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson and tight end Colby Parkinson are candidates to see expanded roles in the passing offense.
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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.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Exits practice Sunday
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Nacua exited Sunday's joint practice with the Chargers with a potential knee issue, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Nacua watched the remainder of Sunday's session from the sideline with his knee wrapped in ice. After practice, coach Sean McVay said he's "not sure" what happened and offered no further update on the Rams' star wideout. Los Angeles has been ravaged by injuries early on this summer, losing would-be starting cornerback Derion Kendrick to a season-ending torn ACL during the first practice of camp before then seeing LT Alaric Jackson (ankle), LG Jonah Jackson (scapula) and RT Rob Havenstein (foot) all getting hurt in the last week. There will hopefully be an update on Nacua in the coming days.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Aims to make Year 2 leap
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Rams wide receiver coach Eric Yarber said Nacua's "body is totally different" due to his training regiment this offseason, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports.
Nacua is coming off a stellar rookie campaign in which he racked up a 105-1,486-6 receiving line while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games, and he's putting in the offseason work to improve rather than resting on his laurels. Yarber said "[Nucua has] lost so much body fat and gained so much lean muscle, which enabled him to move more efficiently now," and that "he has better body control" entering Year 2. Nucua has reportedly dropped about 10 pounds over the offseason and shadowed Cooper Kupp, his positional mate and former Offensive Player of the Year, both in terms of training regimen and diet. Kupp was plagued by injuries even while on the field last season and should stands to demand a larger offensive share during the 2024 campaign, but Nucua looks to have already emerged as the new No. 1 wide receiver for Los Angeles. Coach Sean McVay's offense could be efficient enough for both wideouts to improve upon their production.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Posts 181 rec yards in playoff loss
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Nacua caught nine of 10 targets for 181 yards and a touchdown while rushing once for minus-2 yards in Sunday's 24-23 wild-card round loss to the Lions.
Nacua delivered a stellar performance in his playoff debut after a record-setting rookie season, highlighted by a 50-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. The game's pivotal play was an incomplete pass to Nacua, though, as a Detroit defender grabbed his jersey on a third-down target from Matthew Stafford in the final minutes. A penalty would have set the Rams up in field-goal range, but the missed call led to a punt, and Detroit proceeded to run out the final 4:07, putting an end to Nacua's magical rookie season. After racking up 105 catches, 1,486 receiving yards and six touchdowns in the regular season, Nacua has gone from an unheralded fifth-round NFL Draft pick in 2023 to one of the league's most coveted targets in fantasy drafts heading into the 2024 season.
Nacua corralled all four of his targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 21-20 win over the 49ers.
Nacua wasn't expected to do much from a fantasy perspective Sunday after the Rams announced that they would be removing the breakout star from the contest once he gained 29 yards to set the new rookie all-time record for receiving yards in a single season. The BYU product came one yard shy of Bill Groman's previous mark of 1,473 yards set in 1960 when he caught a 19-yard touchdown to cap off Los Angeles' opening drive Sunday. Nacua didn't see another target until the start of the third quarter, when he notched a pair of short receptions to clinch two NFL rookie records by also passing Jaylen Waddle's 104 receptions set in 2021. Nacua's final rookie line of 105/1,486/6 is more than the Rams could have hoped for from a fifth-round selection. The 23-year-old can continue shattering expectations for the Rams in the upcoming wild-card round of the playoffs.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Will exit after notching record
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The Rams plan to remove Nacua from Sunday's game against the 49ers once he records 29 receiving yards, which would allow him to break the single-season rookie receiving record of 1,473 yards, Jay Glazer reported on "Fox NFL Sunday."
Los Angeles is already locked into a road game for the wild-card round of the playoffs and will prioritize resting several of its starters in Week 18 -- including quarterback Matthew Stafford -- with an eye on maintaining health heading into the postseason. Nacua will be an exception to that plan, as the Rams plan to give him the opportunity to try and secure the record set by Bill Groman of the Houston Oilers in 1960. Look for fill-in starting quarterback Carson Wentz to try and funnel targets to Nacua early and often in Sunday's game, but the 23-year-old is expected to be removed from the contest as soon as he sets the record. With that in mind, Nacua won't have much of a ceiling for receiving yardage Sunday and doesn't represent an appealing option in DFS contests.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Just 28 yards from rookie record
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Nacua (hip) caught five of eight targets for 118 yards and rushed twice for 19 yards in Sunday's 26-25 win over the Giants.
Most of Nacua's game-high receiving yardage total came on an 80-yard catch in the third quarter, which set up a two-yard Kyren Williams rushing touchdown on the next play. Williams scored three touchdowns and Cooper Kupp caught one, while Nacua remained stuck on five touchdowns. Nacua's up to 101 catches for 1,445 yards, leaving him just 28 receiving yards shy of Bill Groman's rookie record of 1,473 heading into the Week 18 season finale in San Francisco.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Suiting up Sunday
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Nacua (hip) is active for Sunday's game at the Giants, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Nacua missed Friday's practice and was deemed questionable by the Rams, but ahead of Sunday's contest coach Sean McVay told Klein that he expected the wide receiver to play through his hip issue. With Nacua's active status confirmed, look for the 2023 fifth-rounder to maintain his key role in the Rams offense Week 17. Through 15 games to date, Nacua has racked up a team-high 96 catches (on 146 targets) for 1,327 yards and five TDs.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Should play through hip injury
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Nacua will miss Friday's practice with a hip injury and will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game at the Giants, but head coach Sean McVay said the wide receiver is still expected to play, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports that Nacua is dealing with tightness in his hip, something he'll attempt to play through with Los Angeles battling for a wild-card spot. The rookie sensation has been listed with shoulder, knee, rib and oblique injuries this season, but ultimately he's taken on at least 40 snaps and seven targets in each of the Rams' 15 games to date. He needs 147 receiving yards over the final two weeks to break Bill Groman's all-time rookie record (1,473 in 1960), while 129 yards would give Nacua the post-merger record set by Ja'Marr Chase (1,455) two seasons ago.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Held to 50 yards
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Nacua recorded five receptions on eight targets for 50 yards in Sunday's 28-20 win over the Commanders. He added two rushes for three yards.
Nacua matched Cooper Kupp for the team lead in targets, though his inconsistent production of late continued. His longest catch of the day went for 18 yards, but three of his five receptions went for single-digit yard gains. Overall, Nacua has 50 or fewer yards in four of his last seven games, though he's reached at least 70 yards in his three other contests in that span.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Full practice Thursday
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Nacua (shoulder) practiced in full Thursday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Nacua opened Week 14 prep with a capped walkthrough due to the AC joint sprain that he suffered in his right shoulder this past Sunday versus the Browns. One day later, though, he was able to manage every practice rep, paving the way for him to suit up Sunday at Baltimore. Despite already boasting 1,029 receiving yards in 12 games to begin his career, the rookie fifth-round pick will be facing a tough task against a Ravens defense that has given up just 5.7 yards per target (first in the NFL) to opposing wide receivers this season.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Big day in Week 13 win
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Nacua caught four of seven targets for 105 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 36-19 win over the Browns.
The rookie wideout hauled in the first of three Matthew Stafford TDs on the afternoon, turning a slant route over the middle into a 70-yard score in the first quarter. It's Nacua's fifth 100-yard performance of the season but his first since Week 7, while the touchdown was his fourth. While Sunday's performance was encouraging and the Rams' passing game has some juicy matchups down the stretch, Nacua could have trouble maintaining his momentum in Week 14 against the Ravens.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Dealing with rib issue
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Nacua departed Sunday's contest against the Browns due to a rib injury.
Nacua exited twice in the second quarter, first due to cramps and then with an apparent shoulder injury. However, the Rams are calling it a rib issue, leaving him questionable to return. At the time he left the game, Nacua had four catches (on six targets) for 105 yards and one touchdown. Cooper Kupp should have plenty of volume come his way from quarterback Matthew Stafford moving forward, with Tutu Atwell, Demarcus Robinson, Ben Skowronek and Austin Trammell also on hand for WR reps.
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Rams' Puka Nacua: Injures shoulder Sunday
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Nacua went to the locker room favoring his right shoulder during Sunday's game versus the Browns, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.
Nacua initially was questionable to return in the middle of the second quarter due to cramps, but he was able to return, only to endure a hard landing on a leaping 20-yard grab. He stayed on the turf for some time before making his way to the sideline slowly with Rams trainers. If he's unable to return, Nacua will finish Week 13 with four catches (on six targets) for 105 yards and one touchdown on the strength of a 70-yard TD.
