The Los Angeles Rams suffered a scare on Thursday when Pro Bowl receiver Puka Nacua left practice early with a knee injury, as reported by The Athletic. Rams head coach Sean McVay will speak to reporters on Friday, and the expectation is that he will provide an update on Nacua, whose Thursday’s practice status was labeled as limited.
According to ESPN, Nacua’s injury is not believed to be serious, but his status for the Rams’ Week 9 game is still to be determined.
Nacua returned to the field last Thursday night after missing the previous five games with a knee injury. Despite the layoff, Nacua shined with 106 yards on seven catches as the Rams upset the Vikings to improve to 3-4 on the season.
The 23-year-old Nacua took the league by storm last year, when he won Offensive Rookie of the Year after setting rookie records with 105 receptions and 1,486 receiving yards. His play played a key role in the Rams’ surprising playoff berth.
Last week was only the second time this year that Nacua has shared the field with fellow wideout Cooper Kupp. Kupp, who has also dealt with injuries this season, was briefly at the center of trade rumors before they were swiftly squashed by McVay following last Thursday’s win over Minnesota.
The Rams are preparing for a big game this Sunday against division rival Seattle, which is currently one of three teams in the NFC West that has a 4-4 record. The Rams, despite currently being in last place in the West, are just one game out of first place.
