Rams WR Puka Nacua Placed On IR With Knee Injury

The injury hits just keep on coming for the Rams' offense.
Puka Nacua will be sidelined for several weeks after suffering a sprained PCL.
Puka Nacua will be sidelined for several weeks after suffering a sprained PCL. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Rams have been hammered by bad injury luck early in the 2024 NFL season, and on Monday things got even worse.

Rams head coach Sean McVay announced the team had placed star wide receiver Puka Nacua on injured reserve due to a PCL sprain in his knee. He joins a growing list of Rams offensive players currently on the shelf.

Offensive tackle Joe Noteboom was carted to the locker room with an ankle injury during LA's Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Starting left guard Steve Avila suffered an MCL sprain and could land on IR.

Starting right guard Kevin Dotson has an ankle sprain, had a boot on his left foot after the game Sunday night's game, and could miss time.

Starting right tackle Rob Havenstein was inactive on Sunday due to an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, rookie offensive lineman KT Leveston is already on injured reserve, as is veteran offensive lineman Connor McDermott, while tight end Tyler Higbee is on the PUP list and can't be activated until Week 5.

To add insult to injury, starting left tackle Alaric Jackson is still suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.

As a reminder, the Rams have only played one game and that's what their injury list looks like on the offensive side of the ball.

Nacua is the biggest loss so far. A fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, he exploded onto the scene as a rookie, earning second-team All-Pro honors after catching 105 passes for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns.

With a decimated offensive line and now Nacua hitting the IR, things are getting desperate for Sean McVay's offense.


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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.