Rams Receiver Puka Nacua Likely Headed to Injured Reserve With Knee Sprains and Turf Toe

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua will likely go on injured reserve and miss a minimum of four games, head coach Sean McVay told reporters on Monday, November 9, 2026.

An MRI on Monday revealed sprains to both his PCL and MCL, and Nacua is also dealing with turf toe, McVay said. The injury happened on the Rams final offensive play of Sunday's 20-13 victory over the Washington Commanders on November 8, a game in which Nacua caught 14 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown.

Hurt on the last play of a big game

NBC Sports, reporting McVay's comments, said the turf toe injury came on that final offensive play against Washington. Nacua had carried the Rams offense all afternoon. His 14 catches and 150 yards led the team, and his touchdown helped Los Angeles close out the 20-13 win. The cost of that last play only became clear on Monday, when the MRI results came back with sprains in two knee ligaments to go with the toe injury.

Pressed for a timeline on Nacua's return, McVay gave a short answer: "At least a month."

What injured reserve would mean

If the Rams place Nacua on injured reserve, he would not be eligible to return until Week 15 at the earliest. Injured reserve requires a player to miss four games, not four weeks, and the Rams have a bye in Week 11, so the bye week does not count toward the four games he must sit out. TSN reported the same details from McVay's announcement on Monday: likely injured reserve for the MCL and PCL sprains plus turf toe, with a minimum four-game absence if the move is made.

The Rams have not announced the injured reserve move itself yet. McVay's word on Monday was "likely," and the club still has to file the transaction before the absence becomes official.

The Rams lose their top receiver

Nacua leads Los Angeles with 70 catches for 715 yards this season, according to theScore, reporting ESPN's Sarah Barshop. Sunday's game showed how much of the passing attack runs through him: 14 of his catches came in one afternoon, for 150 of his 715 season yards.

The timing makes the problem worse for Los Angeles. The Rams were already thin at receiver, with Davante Adams on the shelf for a few more weeks at minimum with a hamstring injury, USA Today reported. Losing Nacua on top of Adams leaves the Rams without their two most productive wide receivers for the stretch ahead, starting with the four games Nacua would miss at minimum if he goes on injured reserve.