The biggest reason Los Angeles Rams' All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua went on Injured Reserve (IR) was a completely unnecessary play in the very final moments of the game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
When the team was already leading 20-13, on 3rd-and-11, head coach Sean McVay called a jet sweep, making a 'why the hell?' kind of mistake, which caused Nacua to suffer a serious injury to his right knee, including MCL and PCL sprains along with turf toe.
RJ Forbus - The Sporting Tribune
Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua (12) runs past Las Vegas Raiders CB Darien Porter (26) for a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This gruesome knee injury now has the Rams' biggest offensive weapon sidelined for at least a month, confirmed insider Ian Rapoport on Monday.
To add fuel to the fire, former Denver Broncos safety Su'a Cravens announced on ESPN Los Angeles’ 'Mason & Ireland show' that “Oh, he's done for the year,” meaning Nacua won’t be back this season.
“You don't rush that back anytime soon,” Cravens said. “It's a long time before you feel like 100% certified, ready to put plant your foot in the ground.
“If I am the Rams, I'm shutting him down for the year,” he said. “That's going to hurt Puka now because you've been hurt... And this again to my whole point when you spam one player and you use him on a jet sweep in a part of the game that does not matter, you're going to get hurt.”
This may be the last we see of Puka for the year 🥺 pic.twitter.com/IeMC5H9KZd
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) November 9, 2026
Coach McVay said in a press conference that he keeps blaming himself over and over and that he is responsible for this decision.
McVay said that he keeps replaying that final play in his mind, trying to reverse-engineer it and thinking about what other option he could have chosen to save Nacua from that dangerous hit.
The biggest reason for his regret is that Nacua had made 14 catches out of 19 targets for 150 yards and a game-winning touchdown in that match, yet he was still put in danger in the final moments.
Nacua, who delivered the game-winning performance, has been on a different level this season, with 70 receptions, 715 yards, and 4 touchdowns in 7 games.
His record of 70 catches is the best performance by any player in their first 7 games in NFL history, which places him among the league’s top wide receivers.
Nacua had already missed Week 2 and Week 3 earlier this season due to a hip injury.
For the Rams, who have been dealing with injuries since the start of the season, Nacua being on IR feels like adding insult to injury.
Their other star WR, Davante Adams, is already on IR due to a ruptured hamstring tendon.
On top of that, offensive lineman Steve Avila (hamstring strain), cornerback Trent McDuffie (back injury), and tight end Terrance Ferguson are also out with injuries.
Without these key players on the field, the Rams now have to face the Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers in the next four important games.
Nacua won’t be able to return before at least December 20, the matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, which is a big blow to the Rams' playoff dreams.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford had been throwing over 44% of his targets to Nacua in the last two games, so now half of their passing attack is kind of stalled.
To handle this stalled offense, McVay has hinted that they’ll explore all options before the Tuesday trade deadline.
However, the Rams only have 3 of their 8 IR return slots left, so bringing in new players feels like being stuck between a well and a brick wall for them.
Now, players like Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, and Colby Parkinson have the responsibility to step up for the team in this do-or-die situation.
Amid the upcoming crisis, Cravens has also made a big splash regarding Nacua's contract future and front office relations.
“So now Puka in a contract year is most likely going to get franchise tagged, which was which was probably going to happen anyways without sour relations, right, with him in the front office, which they've already been sour due to his off-field actions,” Cravens said.
“And now the question of is Puka even going to be a guy that you keep on the team or do you start using him as trade bait if he comes back healthy? And now teams who might be interested in trade for him are like, well, is he the same player?”
Fans will have to wait a long time to see that same old fierce side, because rushing onto the field can be deadly for a career.
Now it remains to be seen whether the Rams can come through this trouble or if their season will fizzle out halfway without Puka Nacua.