Puka Nacua was arguably the beating heart of the Los Angeles Rams’ offense in 2023. Heading into the year, it appeared to be a given that Nacua would be the ironman on an offense that has been hit hard by injuries in the last couple of years. However, reports claim that Nacua is already dealing with an injury to kick off the 2024 preseason. How bad is it and what does it mean for the Rams as they head into 2024? Here’s a look.
Short-term effects Of Missing Puka Nacua
In the short term, it appears the wide receiver has dodged the worst-case scenario of extended downtime. Based on his current status as week-to-week, according to Adam Schefter, there appears to be a high probability of Nacua being ready for Week 1. However, it is unclear if he will be 100% healthy for the first game.
With Nacua, Sean McVay said he is under no ‘no threat’ of missing Week 1, but he has always been notoriously cagey about the injury status of his players, especially in the offseason — when disclosure rules are eased.
Long-term implications
Sometimes, injuries can become a slippery slope. The Rams were “lucky” to see the injury take place early in the calendar, allowing for nearly the maximum amount of time to recover with little drawbacks. However, missing most of training camp could mean that Nacua has some rust coming into the season.
Rust can often be overblown in the NFL. Usually, it only takes a quarter or a half to get back into the swing of game speed.
That said, a rusty Nacua is likely a best-case scenario for the Rams in this situation. However, if the injury takes a turn for the worse, the Rams are somewhat lucky in the timing in the sense that free agency isn’t exactly a complete ghost town.
One of the red flags on Nacua coming into the league was his history of injury. While not having had a long-term injury over the last few years, his aggressive playing style contributed to ticky-tacky ailments. This is further exacerbated by how and how much the Rams use Nacua. Which is to as, a lot and a lot over the middle, as well as a blocker in the running game.
External Options If Nacua Takes a Turn For the Worse
The Rams have yet to add an additional wide receiver, as they did in the wake of injuries in the secondary and at the offensive line. If Nacua’s knee isn’t on track or if more players are forced to miss time, they may need to do that.
Michael Thomas, Julio Jones, and Randall Cobb are all still available, according to Sharp Football Analysis. Out of those three, Cobb and Thomas appear to be the best bets if the Rams need someone to bolster the room for a month or so. Out of those two, Thomas appears to be the safest option. At just 31 years old and with little additional tread taken off the tires over the last few years, he might play younger than he is.
Of course, all of this assumes that the Rams slip into a worse situation with Nacua than they already have. Currently, there is little reason to worry. If it were a month from now that the injury happened, the Rams likely would need to sign somebody with much more urgency.
As it stands, taking a wait-and-see approach seems logical. That said, if he doesn’t reach 100% health by the end of the preseason, the Rams should take a look at adding a contingency booster.
