A day after Rams head coach Sean McVay said the team would not place wide receiver Puka Nacua on injured reserve, the club did exactly that. McVay had argued that "roster semantics" would keep Nacua on the 53-man roster, since every team gets only eight designated-to-return slots during the season. The Rams have already used three of those designations, on Kobie Turner, Davante Adams, Terrance Ferguson and now Nacua, all with hopes of returning.
The move became necessary because Nacua is set to miss "extended time" with MCL and PCL sprains in his knee and turf toe, as McVay said Wednesday. Nacua will miss at least the next four games, and the Cowboys game on Dec. 20 is the earliest he can return under the rules. Los Angeles Times reporter Gary Klein said the Rams signed wide receiver Brennan Presley from the practice squad to take Nacua's roster spot, while wideout Tyler Scott was added back to the practice squad.S1S2
The decision leaves the Rams with a thinner receiver group at a difficult stretch of the schedule. Nacua is now guaranteed to miss games against the Cardinals, Packers, Chiefs and 49ers, and the Rams hope Adams can return when the December slate begins against the Chiefs in Week 13. With Adams unlikely to be activated before the Thanksgiving-eve Packers game, the run game will carry more of the load. Tutu Atwell, reacquired from the Dolphins several weeks ago, is expected to take on a bigger role alongside Konata Mumpfield, who has played a 42% offensive snap share, while Atwell is at 33%.S2
The Rams have five IR activations remaining, though Adams, Ferguson and Turner are all expected back this season, and a Nacua return would leave them with one. Teams that qualify for the playoffs receive two additional activations, but the Rams face a long road to get there. Nacua, 25, is entering a contract year, and off-field issues and midsection injuries earlier this year have reportedly cooled talk of a market-setting extension. The latest injury may push the Rams toward franchise-tagging him while extension talks continue.S2
