Rams Place Puka Nacua on IR With Brutal Knee and Toe Injuries
Ian Rapoport reported that coach Sean McVay confirmed the MCL, PCL, and turf toe injuries.
is officially heading to Injured Reserve, and his medical chart reads like he stepped on a landmine. According to Ian Rapoport, head coach Sean McVay confirmed the star receiver is dealing with an MCL sprain, a PCL sprain, and turf toe all at once.
Getting hit with one of those injuries is a bad month. Getting hit with all three in the same leg is the universe telling you to stay in bed. Going on IR means Nacua is mandated to miss a minimum of four weeks, completely blowing up the offense right as the season grinds into the winter months.
The Rams just scraped by in a 20-13 slugfest, but the cost of doing business was catastrophic. Nacua has been the absolute lifeblood of this passing game, riding a ridiculous streak of 16 straight games with at least five receptions. You do not just replace a guy who is always open.
People always hear "turf toe" and think it sounds like a mild blister you get from wearing bad cleats. In reality, it means the ligaments in your foot are shredded and you cannot push off without seeing stars. Combine that with two different knee sprains, and it is honestly impressive he made it to the locker room without a medevac.
The ripple effect here is going to be massive for anyone holding futures or looking at passing props. Without his favorite safety blanket, Stafford is going to have to force-feed the rest of the depth chart against defenses that no longer have to double-team the middle of the field.
Now the have to survive at least the next month without their primary weapon. Nacua will spend the next four weeks trying to rebuild his lower half, while McVay has to draw up a game plan that does not rely on number twelve bailing them out on third down.