Mixed feelings are probably the best way to describe how the Los Angeles Rams felt on Monday morning. Second-year wide receiver Puka Nacua suffered a knee injury, and he will miss weeks of practice and preseason games. However, the injury is described as "not serious."
The injury update was first reported by ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter.
The injury news probably means that Nacua won't play preseason games — or at least the first two ones, against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and at Los Angeles Chargers on August 17. The preseason finale is at Houston Texans on August 24.
A fifth-round pick last year, Puka Nacua was a Second-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in his first NFL season. He broke several rookie records: receptions (105), receiving yards (1,486), receptions in a game (15), and receiving yards in a playoff game (181). He also scored six touchdowns in 2023.
Depth
Without Puka Nacua, the Los Angeles Rams will have an opportunity to test other wide receivers during preseason games. The roster also has veterans Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, Tyler Johnson, and Xavier Smith.
But preseason games will be particularly important for rookies to show their value. The Rams took Jordan Whittington in the sixth-round, and they also have undrafted rookies J. J. Laap, Drake Stoops, and Sam Wiglusz. Nacua himself showed last year how late-round picks can be impactful, and Sean McVay will have more time to evaluate these young players — after all, this is the main goal of preseason games these days.
Hopefully for the Rams, Puka Nacua will be ready to play in week 1, when it really matters. The Rams open their regular season schedule on September 8, against the same Detroit Lions that eliminated them in the playoffs last season.
Related: Puka Nacua may have achieved what other receivers his age could only dream of
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