It likely would be tougher for the Los Angeles Rams in London without Puka Nacua. The wide receiver is battling an injury. And now his status is murky after a second straight missed practice, according to a post on X by Adam Schefter.
“The Rams travel overseas to take on the Jaguars on Sunday morning. The earlier start time and long travel don’t do Nacua any favors in this situation.”
It means quarterback Matthew Stafford may be without his favorite weapon.
Rams WR Puka Nacua trying to get back on the field
Rams head coach Sean McVay said the sprained ankle is making things tough on Nacua, according to ESPN.
“There's a difference between return to play, return to performance,” McVay said. “You want to put him in a position to have successful outcomes. I do think some of that is reflected in, is he able to go through practice and really get a good feel to allow him to feel comfortable and confident in what we would be asking if he goes?
“If not, then you have a ton of confidence in the group that with the guys that'll be asked to take on bigger roles. You don't ever replace a stud like him, but we've got a lot of confidence in the other guys if that's the case.”
Returning to practice may be the biggest thing Nacua could do if he wants to get into the lineup. But McVay didn’t say that was an absolute prerequisite.
“I think it'd probably be tough to say,” McVay said. “I certainly don't want to pigeonhole myself into a kind of an approach like that. But I think that you would like him to be able to [practice].”
Nacua is a major part of the Rams’ attack. He leads the NFL in receptions and receiving yards and had the most catches by a player in his team's first five games of a season in league history. Nacua has 54 catches for 616 yards and two touchdowns this season.
