The injury to Puka Nacua in the Los Angeles Rams’ season opener may have been the most worrying one. He was sidelined for the near future after suffering a knee injury in the first half of the game that made him miss three weeks of training camp.
Nacua will be out for at least four games after being placed on injured reserve, and he may miss even more. This week, during an update on the “Coach McVay Show,” Sean McVay disclosed that the injury was a Grade 2 PCL sprain.
“A Grade 2 PCL sprain affects him. The injury is still to the knee; it’s just a little bit more serious, according to McVay. You know how much he wants to be out there with his teammates to contribute and be a part of this, so when he learns the news when you’re with him, it pains him. That’s why you hate it for him.
Although McVay is unsure of Nacua’s exact recovery time, he is confident the receiver will make a comeback this season.
However, he will return eventually. That’s a good thing, then. I’m not sure when it will happen or at what time. But because it will at least last for a month, that is why IR is the most likely scenario, McVay continued.
One of the most prominent instances of a player sustaining a Grade 2 PCL sprain was when Lamar Jackson ended the 2022 season with the same injury. Jackson was out for six weeks that year, missing the team’s first playoff game in addition to the last five regular-season games.
Even six weeks was a long absence, and it’s unclear if Jackson would have lost more time. This could be a reasonable amount of time for Nacua. If he does miss the following four games, he will fortunately have a bye in Week 6 to give himself an extra week off before maybe making a comeback in Week 7.
