Rams WR Puka Nacua avoids long-term injury to knee
While Nacua is week-to-week, Coach Sean McVay says he doesn’t anticipate him being affected even in terms of preparation for next month’s season opener against Detroit.
THOUSAND OAKS — Rams receiver Puka Nacua was not at practice on Tuesday as the Rams moved training camp back to Cal Lutheran, but there was good news on his injury front.
Nacua is considered week-to-week with a knee injury, head coach Sean McVay said, but the expectation is that the Pro Bowl receiver will be ready to practice ahead of and play in the Rams’ season opener against the Detroit Lions.
Nacua landed on the knee while going up for a touchdown catch during the Rams’ joint practice with the Chargers on Sunday, and McVay said that’s when Nacua initially felt pain. The knee bothered him again while running a route later in practice, and the Rams shut him down and put ice on the knee.
“He had a bursa sac that kind of burst and it’s going to be week to week with him,” McVay said. “Nothing serious, nothing structurally, he’ll be in good shape. … I don’t anticipate him being affected in even prep for that opener.”
Nacua set NFL rookie records in 2023 with 105 receptions and 1,486 yards receiving after being a fifth-round pick out of BYU.
OFFENSIVE LINE STILL IN FLUX
The Rams’ injury luck on the offensive line somehow got even worse over the weekend.
Already down three starters of the five, rookie reserve K.T. Leveston had a teammate roll up on his ankle during joint practice on Sunday and he was unable to practice Tuesday. Warren McClendon Jr., who has been filling in at right tackle, also rolled his ankle against the Chargers but got taped up and returned to the field. He was a partial participant in Tuesday’s practice.
These injuries come after left guard Jonah Jackson (shoulder) and right tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle) were ruled week to week in their injury recoveries. The Rams had initially hoped that left tackle Alaric Jackson (ankle) would practice on Sunday, but he was downgraded to week to week.
“A lot of guys are having to push through,” McVay said.
McVay said Alaric Jackson did not suffer a setback, and that the team was merely taking a cautious approach with his recovery. McVay wouldn’t commit Tuesday to all three of the injured starters being cleared to play in Week 1 in Detroit, but he also said he couldn’t rule it out at this point, either.
Still, the Rams took some precautions on Tuesday by signing three offensive linemen, Conor McDermott, Matt Kaskey and Alec Lindstrom.
McDermott, a former UCLA standout, is the most experienced of the three. In eight seasons with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and New England Patriots, he has played in 54 games with 17 starts. With the Bills, he played for Rams offensive line coach Ryan Wendell, who was then Buffalo’s assistant O-line coach, so McDermott has some experience with the verbiage the Rams use up front.
Kaskey has bounced around preseason rosters and practice squads, and he participated in training camp with the Rams as an undrafted rookie in 2019. Lindstrom spent the last two years with the Dallas Cowboys, mostly on the team’s practice squad.
“We’ll get familiar with those guys,” McVay said. “There is some familiarity with Conor McDermott from a lot of guys that are on our coaching staff and even some of our players. He’s a guy that’s played a lot of meaningful football in this league.”