Why Puka Nacua isn't on injured reserve despite no positive return news, per Sean McVay

Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is playing out the final season of his four-year, $4.08 million rookie deal (earning $5.8 million in 2026 without an extension), will not be placed on injured reserve, but will miss significant time after suffering right MCL and PCL knee sprains on the final offensive snap of Sunday, in a 20–13 Week 9 win against the Washington Commanders, a game in which he posted 14 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown to bring his season stats to 70 receptions, 715 yards, and four scores.

Rams coach Sean McVay said on Monday that Nacua was likely to land on injured reserve for at least a month because of those knee sprains and turf toe, but so far he has not been moved to the list because the team faces a tight roster scenario, having already used several of its limited IR-return slots alongside an upcoming Week 11 bye, which could allow him to return sooner around Week 14 or Week 15 without serving a mandatory four-game IR absence.

Via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press, the coach told reporters on Wednesday that "roster semantics" will keep the WR on the 53-man roster.

To manage this depleted receiver room, the Rams placed fellow wideout Jordan Whittington (back) on IR on Tuesday, signing Xavier Smith off the 49ers' practice squad in a corresponding move, while Nacua remained a member of the active 53-man roster.

Nacua injured his right knee on a third-and-11 jet sweep during the Rams' final offensive snap of their win over the Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. Nacua is dealing with sprains to two ligaments in his knee and turf toe, creating a tricky roster scenario where the Rams decided on Wednesday to keep him off Injured Reserve (IR).

"He's still going to be out for a significant period of time," McVay said.

Sean McVay explains why Puka Nacua is not going on injured reserve?

Appearing on ESPN's Mason & Ireland on Wednesday, McVay explains why Puka Nacua is not going on injured reserve:

"There's just a lot of roster mechanics and semantics,” Coach McVay said. “We've had so many injuries and different things like that, but, unfortunately it doesn't mean that we've gotten any more positive news that he'd be able to return before those four weeks.

“But I was bummed. I could tell by the hit that he took that, I mean, I know how tough he is, but it, it, it looked weird. Obviously, he got off the field and, and when you're talking after you do your media and stuff like that, you kind of understand what the potential severity of the injury is, and you feel for your players, man. It's a tough deal, and there's been a lot of guys that have missed a bunch of time this year that put so much time and effort into it.

“But, love them. He's been a huge part of, of our success, and we have to figure out, who, who are some guys that'll get opportunities to step up and pour into them.”

Why the Rams may not have placed Puka Nacua on injured reserve?

ESPN's Dan Graziano noted that an IR designation requires a player to miss at least four games. Instead, keeping him on the active roster allows the 5-4 Rams to navigate a tight roster-activation limit while hoping to have their top receiver back for their Week 14 game against the San Francisco 49ers after missing three contests.

If Nacua does get an IR designation, he will have to miss at least four games (with a Week 11 bye not counting toward that total) and has the potential to miss even more time, which is a tough situation for the Rams given their depleted receiver room.

If the Rams put him on IR, the soonest he could return is Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys on December 20, though in an alternative scenario where they keep him off IR, he could potentially return in Week 14 against the 49ers, ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote. The Rams will know more about whether surgery is needed in the coming days in November.

After a three-game winning streak to reach 5-4, the Rams, who opted not to make a trade deadline deal despite a depleted receiver room, will have to find a way to survive at least the next two games (against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, followed by their bye week and a game against the Green Bay Packers) without either Davante Adams, sidelined since October 18 with a ruptured hamstring, though he has recorded 30 catches for 480 yards and 4 touchdowns in six games this season, or Nacua.

The next game on the schedule following Thanksgiving Eve will be a high-stakes showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs on 'Thursday Night Football' in Week 13 on Dec. 3, a realistic return scenario if Adams misses two more contests.

In the interim, while Nacua recovers from his knee injury, the Rams will look to a wide receiver room of Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell, CJ Daniels and Xavier Smith. The Rams will also look to lean on a defense that just got reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, acquired from Cleveland in a blockbuster June 1 trade for Jared Verse and three draft picks alongside a restructured five-year, $208.2 million deal, back from mid-September knee surgery for a dominant three-sack, six-pressure, and one-forced-fumble performance in Sunday's win over the Commanders, as well as a run game with Kyren Williams (45 rushing yards) and Blake Corum (58 rushing yards and a touchdown) that combined for 103 ground yards against the Commanders and has taken off in recent weeks.