WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams' growing injury concerns took another troubling turn Thursday when star wide receiver Puka Nacua left practice early with a calf injury, putting his availability for Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders in question.
Nacua's status remains uncertain as the Rams prepare for a critical matchup against the Raiders at SoFi Stadium. The injury comes at a particularly difficult time for Los Angeles, which is already dealing with significant losses on both sides of the ball, including wide receiver Davante Adams, defensive tackles Poona Ford and Kobie Turner, and kicker Blake Grupe.
Rams coach Sean McVay spoke to reporters before practice about the team's mounting injuries and the challenge of keeping the roster competitive as Los Angeles attempts to rebound from Sunday's disappointing loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
McVay had already been preparing for the possibility of playing without several key contributors. Now, with Nacua's availability uncertain, the Rams could be facing an even more difficult situation at wide receiver.
The Rams placed Adams on injured reserve earlier this week after he suffered a ruptured hamstring against Arizona. McVay confirmed that Adams will undergo surgery, although the procedure was already factored into the team's initial recovery timeline of six to 10 weeks.
"He will," McVay said when asked whether Adams would require surgery.
"I think they're going to give it a couple of days and figure out exactly when is the best time," McVay added. "It's more of a cleanup type of procedure. There is a surgery, but it's a cleanup. I'm not a doctor so I don't want to speak out of turn, but it will be something that'll get cleaned up."
McVay said the Rams have not discussed bringing in an outside receiver to replace Adams, instead expressing confidence in the players already on the roster.
"That's not something that we've talked about right now," McVay said. "We have some depth on our roster. Maybe we talked about practice squad, but not anything externally."
One player who could see an expanded role is young receiver Konata Mumpfield, who has impressed McVay with his preparation and ability to contribute when called upon.
"What I do appreciate is he's made the most of his opportunities," McVay said. "In Denver, obviously delivered. There's been less chances to be able to contribute. Did some good things I thought the other day. He's one of those guys that when he's been counted on, he's delivered."
McVay described Mumpfield as mature, humble and eager to learn, adding that the coaching staff has confidence in him if his role expands.
The Rams were already looking for ways to get Nacua more involved after he saw limited opportunities against Arizona. McVay attributed his reduced involvement to the offense's inability to sustain drives.
"We didn't have a lot of plays," McVay said. "Then there was a lot of lack of consistency in terms of sustaining drives. The snaps were limited and that's probably what went into it."
The possibility of losing Nacua, even temporarily, would place additional pressure on quarterback Matthew Stafford and a passing attack already trying to adjust to Adams' absence.
Stafford acknowledged the challenge of replacing a player of Adams' caliber but emphasized that the responsibility would be shared throughout the offense.
"You're not going to one-for-one sub in a guy that's going to be wearing a gold jacket one day, in Davante," Stafford said. "It's a team effort. All of us are doing everything we can to try and pick up the slack and make sure we get in the endzone, red zone specifically."
The injuries extend well beyond the receiving corps.
McVay said cornerback Trent McDuffie is dealing with a groin injury and the team will evaluate his availability on a day-to-day basis. Inside linebacker Nate Landman has entered the concussion protocol, creating another potential hole in the defense.
Veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks, who recently joined the Rams, could be elevated to help compensate for Landman's absence.
"He could be a possibility," McVay said. "He's done a great job. You can see just being around him, a guy that's played a lot of good quality football. I have tremendous respect for him from coaching against him when he's been at his different stops."
There was some encouraging news on the injury front, with cornerback Josh Wallace and tight end Colby Parkinson cleared for full participation in practice earlier in the week.
The Rams also signed veteran kicker Brandon McManus following Grupe's season-ending torn ACL. Grupe suffered the injury while attempting to make a tackle on a kickoff against Arizona, just days after joining the team.
McVay said McManus' experience and performance during his workout made him the team's choice.
"Brought a couple guys in," McVay said. "He did a good job at the workout, obviously an experienced vet. That was what went into the decision. Need a kicker."
The injuries have forced McVay and general manager Les Snead to consider not only their immediate roster needs but also how to manage the limited number of players who can return from injured reserve during the season.
McVay acknowledged that those decisions are becoming increasingly complicated as the list of injured players grows.
"It's building up pretty quickly," McVay said. "But that's stuff that once you start talking about bringing guys back, you have to have a big picture perspective, all things considered."
Despite the adversity, McVay insisted that the Rams cannot afford to dwell on their injury situation or their recent struggles.
"I try not to live that way," McVay said when asked whether he comes to work expecting more bad injury news. "I think what you have to do is you have to deal with these different types of things. The first thing is you feel bad for the guys that are affected by things that oftentimes are out of their control. Then the next thing is let's be able to deal with it. The game's coming on Sunday."
That approach will be tested against a Raiders team McVay praised for its coaching, versatility and ability to create problems in all three phases of the game.
McVay credited Raiders coach Klint Kubiak for the team's offensive creativity and quarterback Kirk Cousins for distributing the ball effectively.
"They're well coached in all three phases," McVay said. "They've been productive in all three phases. They made some big free agent signings on the defensive side of the ball. They have a bunch of different playmakers."
For McVay, the immediate priority is keeping his team focused on preparation rather than the growing list of players unavailable to contribute.
"There are a lot of different things that have gone on but I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to continue to coach this team," McVay said. "I want to make sure that they feel that gratitude that I have. It doesn't mean you lack empathy for the people that are being affected by it. You wish they were available."
The Rams will now wait for additional information on Nacua's calf injury before determining whether their top remaining receiving threat will be available Sunday.
With Adams already sidelined and the roster stretched thin by injuries, Nacua's status has become one of the biggest questions facing Los Angeles heading into its matchup with the Raiders.