Puka Nacua’s calf injury has thrown a massive wrench into the Los Angeles Rams’ Week 7 plans against the Las Vegas Raiders, with Ian Rapoport revealing his status is “very much up in the air.” That is just brutal news for a team already reeling and desperately needing a win.
The Bleeding Just Won’t Stop for the Rams Offense
This Rams team is sitting at a rough 2-4, and they are in dire need of a W this weekend to even think about staying in the NFC West race, let alone a playoff spot. But the bad news just keeps piling up! The defensive line is already severely depleted, and they just lost wide receiver Davante Adams for an extended period of time. Now, Nacua, their top target, goes down with a calf injury at practice on Thursday. Rapoport dropped the bomb on The Pat McAfee Show, saying Nacua is “very much up in the air” for Sunday. While he did add that the injury isn’t considered “major” and “minor is good,” meaning he’s not looking at extended time like Adams, “very much up in the air” is a phrase that should send shivers down any fan’s spine when your team is already fighting for its life.
Who Steps Up if Nacua Sits?
If Nacua can’t go, Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay are going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat in Week 7. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum instantly become even more huge pieces of this offense, carrying the rock and trying to keep the chains moving. And keep an eye on the tight ends: Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, and maybe even Max Klare are all going to play a much bigger role in the passing game. At wide receiver, Konata Mumpfield is likely to step into that No. 1 option slot, with Jordan Whittington, Tutu Atwell, CJ Daniels, and Alex Bachman all factoring into the rotation. For a team that absolutely has to win, losing Nacua, even if it’s just for one week, is about the worst thing that could happen to an offense already missing Davante Adams.
So, will Nacua actually miss the Raiders game? It’s looking very possible, and he could easily be a game-time decision. The calf injury might not be major, but it’s definitely threatening his Week 7 status, and the Rams need him on the field.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply