Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua is likely to be placed on injured reserve after suffering a right knee injury and turf toe on the final play of the team’s Sunday game against the Washington Commanders, according to the supplied report. The injury is described as involving sprains to the medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament in his right leg. The report does not say that an injured-reserve placement had been officially completed.
Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that he had repeatedly reconsidered the play call. Los Angeles was leading and trying to run out the clock when it gave Nacua the ball on a third-down handoff. Nacua gained five yards before taking a hard hit to the knee. He remained on the field longer than expected, then walked off under his own power, the report said.
McVay told reporters he felt responsibility for the decision and wondered whether another play might have gained the necessary conversion and ended the game without exposing Nacua to the hit. He also said the team had to consider player safety while putting its athletes in positions to contribute. His comments were reported by ESPN, according to the supplied article.
The Rams were already dealing with a significant receiver absence. Davante Adams had been sidelined since a hamstring tear in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals. McVay said Los Angeles would examine available options, including a possible trade, before the NFL’s Nov. 10, 4 p.m. ET deadline. The report did not identify a specific trade target or say a deal was imminent.
If Nacua is placed on injured reserve, he would have to miss the next four games, the article said. The listed opponents are the Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. That would leave quarterback Matthew Stafford without the team’s top two receivers during that stretch, based on the reported injuries to Nacua and Adams.
Before the knee injury, Nacua had recorded 70 receptions for 715 yards and four touchdowns, despite missing Weeks 2 and 3 with a hip injury. The article said his 70 catches were an NFL record for a player through the first seven games of his career.
Los Angeles had a 5-4 record after Week 9, according to the report, and was outside a playoff position based on the standings at that point. It also characterized the Rams’ remaining schedule as among the league’s most difficult. The injury adds to the challenges facing McVay’s staff as it seeks to cover for unavailable players, though the report’s account does not establish when Nacua will return or whether the team will make a roster move.
