Puka Nacua will miss at least four more games after the Los Angeles Rams placed him on injured reserve Thursday, reversing the roster plan Sean McVay outlined a day earlier.
The move rules Nacua out through the Rams’ Week 14 trip to face the San Francisco 49ers. His first eligible game is Dec. 20 against the Dallas Cowboys, although eligibility does not mean he will be medically ready to return.
McVay said Wednesday that Los Angeles intended to keep Nacua on the active roster for roster-management reasons. He emphasized then that the decision did not reflect an improvement in the receiver’s injury outlook.
Thursday’s transaction changes that arrangement. It establishes a minimum absence without supplying a new recovery date or explaining why the Rams changed course.
Nacua was hurt on Los Angeles’ final offensive play in Sunday’s 20-13 win over the Washington Commanders. McVay said Monday that he sustained MCL and PCL sprains along with turf toe.
The Nov. 8 clip below shows the play. Its accompanying MRI update predates the diagnosis McVay provided Monday.
Puka Nacua reportedly suffered a knee injury on the last offensive play in the Rams’ win over the Commanders. He will undergo an MRI on Monday but the team doesn’t believe he suffered a torn ACL, per @MikeGarafolo. pic.twitter.com/TqMce1gv2E
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 8, 2026
Which games will Puka Nacua miss?
The Rams have a Week 11 bye, which does not count toward the four-game IR minimum. That leaves the following games before Nacua can return:
| Week | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Nov. 15 | at Arizona Cardinals |
| 12 | Nov. 25 | vs. Green Bay Packers |
| 13 | Dec. 3 | vs. Kansas City Chiefs |
| 14 | Dec. 13 | at San Francisco 49ers |
Los Angeles also remains without Davante Adams and Jordan Whittington, who are on injured reserve. McVay said Wednesday that a return after the Packers game was a realistic possibility for Adams, who is recovering from a hamstring injury. That remains an outlook, not a confirmed return date.
Nacua’s absence removes the team’s leading receiver: He has 70 catches for 715 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. He caught 14 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown against Washington before getting hurt.
CJ Daniels gets a larger opportunity for the Rams
Rookie CJ Daniels is among the receivers set to take on more work. The sixth-round pick played just six offensive snaps across Weeks 7-9 and has yet to record a catch, making this a substantial change in responsibility.
“He is a guy that, no question about it, will get an opportunity to play more snaps moving forward,” McVay said Monday.
McVay pointed to Daniels’ consistent preparation and the challenges he gives the defense in practice. Offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase also said the rookie had earned additional opportunities through his work as the season progressed.
The adjustment goes beyond one replacement. Nacua drew 41 of Matthew Stafford’s 97 targets over the past three games, according to the Rams’ breakdown of their passing offense. That is 42.3 percent of the targets during a stretch in which Adams was already unavailable.
“I trust those guys to be in the right spots, and that’s what this game’s all about,” Stafford said Wednesday.
Stafford explained that holding the ball while hesitating over unfamiliar targets would create its own problems. Alongside Daniels, the Rams can turn to Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell and newly signed Xavier Smith, with their running backs and tight ends also involved in the passing game.
For a 5-4 team coming off three consecutive wins, the immediate challenge is sustaining that progress with a different distribution of opportunities. Thursday’s move makes clear that the next four games must be played without Nacua.
