Rams head coach Sean McVay provided injury updates on some of his top players after Sunday night's overtime loss to the Lions. McVay said that star wide receiver Puka Nacua, who was placed on IR on Monday after suffering a knee injury, could miss more than the minimum four-week window, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
Offensive linemen Steve Avila (knee) and Joe Noteboom (ankle) also hit the injured reserve list after suffering injuries on Sunday night, and McVay sounded equally concerned about them.
“#Rams HC Sean McVay said WR Puka Nacua could end up missing more than the minimum 4 weeks on IR,” Meirov wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The same goes for C/G Steve Avila and OT Joe Noteboom, who were also placed on IR.”
Nacua caught four passes for 35 yards against the Lions before leaving the game in the second quarter. McVay said after the game that Nacua aggravated his pre-existing knee injury that kept him out for a majority of training camp, which has now been described as a sprained PCL. Without him in the lineup, expect Cooper Kupp to see plenty of targets, as he did on Sunday in a 14-catch, 21-target outing. Auxiliary pass catchers Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson should also see increased roles until Nacua is back.
Noteboom, the Rams' starter at left tackle was carted off on Sunday night with a high ankle sprain, which McVay said would keep him out for “a few weeks”. Avila also left the game with a sprained MCL that will keep him out for 4-6 weeks, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
The injuries to the offensive line compound a problem that the Rams already had coming into the season. Tackle Alaric Jackson is serving a two-game suspension, and right tackle Rob Havenstein missed the Lions game with an ankle injury, so McVay's squad is already very thin up front.
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