(News4usonline) – The Los Angeles Rams won their third straight game with a 20-13 win against the Washington Commanders. But they paid a price for their fifth win on the season.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua was injured on the last play of the game.
It turns out to be costly injury for both Nacua, the team’s leading pass-catcher, and the Rams. Nacua, who had just completed a stellar game with 14 receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown against the Commanders, suffered a MCL/PCL sprain on his right knee. He also came down with turf toe.
The MCL/PCL injury was the most damaging as Nacua will miss significant time from the playing field. It is expected that he’ll miss at least a month and will hit the injured reserved list.
“He’s going to be out for a good amount of time. He will probably be a guy that we’ll put on IR as a result of that,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said during a Zoom call with reporters.
Nacua’s injury was a double whammy for the Rams. In October, the team saw Davante Adams, their other star wide receiver, go down to a hamstring injury. The timeline for Adams’ return was somewhat given in the neighborhood of 6-10 weeks.
The Rams has been beset with injuries to key player personnel all season. Edge rusher Myles Garrett missed seven games to fix his opening game knee injury.
Adams, defensive tackle Kobie Turner, cornerback Jaylen Watson, and nose tackle Poona Ford are just a couple of other high-note players the Rams have lost for a good amount of time due to injury.
Watson and Ford are out for the season. The injuries suffered by Nacua, offensive lineman Steve Avila (hamstring) is but the latest in a string of maladies that have besieged the Rams.
In Nacua’s case, McVay had some trepidation as soon as he saw the moment play itself out.
“I saw the way that he got hit on the last jet sweep that we ran,” McVay remarked. “He got up and came off, but the way that he took a shot just from that guy inside out, it looked like there could have been something there. He’s as tough as it gets and he was able to get off, but I was concerned about that.”
McVay’s instincts about the play, unfortunately, came into fruition when an MRI determined the injury outcome.
“I’m bummed,” McVay said. “When these things happen, the first thing is you feel for the players. They put so much work in and it’s so unfortunate. Then you question, ‘What could you have done to maybe avoid it and all those things?’ But he’s such a tough competitor and it’s a big deal. You feel for him first and foremost.”
Before his injury, Nacua was in the midst of another outstanding season. The 14 receptions he had in the team’s win against the Commanders was his second-hightest catch totals for a single game.
With 70 catches and 715 yards in receiving, Nacua was well on his way to securing his third season in which he has over a 1,000 yards in receiving. Depending on how he rehabs, Nacua may still be able to reach that benchmark, but when he returns will likely determine that scenario.
In the meantime, the Rams have a month of games to get through. With his top two receivers down, McVay and the Rams may entertain the idea of picking up another wide receiver before the trade deadline. It’s at least a thought, McVay said.
“I think you look at all avenues,” said McVay. “I think you have to look at all avenues to try to be able to solve some of the issues or situations or scenarios that have come up. A lot of new things occur on a daily basis, so I would never rule it out.”
Top Image: Inglewood, CA – Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) looks for room to run after the catch against Los Angeles Chargers defenders during an NFL game played at SoFi Stadium on Nov. 1, 2026. Nacua came up with 11 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ 24-9 win. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usonline
Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, race, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University. Email Dennis at dfreeman@news4usonline.com
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