Puka Nacua injury update: Rams WR suffers setback during Thursday practice

LA Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua suffered an injury setback in practice on Thursday. He had to leave practice early with a knee injury, according to a team official. It was the same knee that he previously injured. Nacua’s injury was to his posterior cruciate ligament, which he initially injured in training camp but reaggravated against the Lions in the season opener.

He was initially diagnosed with a grade 2 PCL sprain, which often takes 6-8 weeks to return. He returned last week, but only after two limited practices. Against the Vikings, Nacua hauled in seven catches for 106 yards in the Rams’ 30-20 win. He’s only played in two games so far this season, Detroit and Minnesota.

The Rams’ passing attack is one of the best in the league when he and Cooper Kupp are out there. But now with more uncertainty swirling around Puka Nacua’s injury and Cooper Kupp’s potential trade status, there continue to remain questions about the LA passing attack moving forward.

Puka Nacua had a record-setting rookie campaign

Rams rookie receiver Puka Nacua etched his name in the NFL history books his rookie season. With his performance against the San Francisco 49ers, Nacua broke the single-season rookie record for both yards and receptions.

The previous receiving yards record, set by Houston Oilers receiver Bill Groman in 1960, had stood for more than six decades. Nacua surpassed Groman’s 1,473 yards with a six-yard catch in the third quarter. He entered the game just 29 yards shy of breaking the record and finished with four catches for 41 yards and a touchdown.

On the very next play, Nacua hauled in his 105th catch of the year to break that rookie record. He surpasses Miami receiver Jaylen Waddle, who had 104 catches in his first NFL season in 2021. He joins Waddle and Anquan Boldin as one of just three rookie receivers to catch 100 or more passes.

Puka Nacua began the year filling in for Cooper Kupp as the Rams’ top receiver and continued to work in tandem with Kupp following his return. The fifth-round pick wasted no time making an impact as he recorded back-to-back 100-yard performances in his first two NFL games. It would be a sign of what was to come for his special career.

On3’s Chandler Vessels and Grant Grubbs also contributed to this article.