Rams’ Puka Nacua aggravates knee injury, lands on injured list

LOS ANGELES – Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua aggravated his knee injury during Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Lions and will be placed on the injured list, coach Sean McVay said Monday.

Nacua suffered a strained posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), McVay said, and will miss at least four games due to his injury list.

Nacua suffered the injury while catching a ball midway through the second quarter of the Lions’ 26-20 loss. He limped off the field and went to the blue medical tent. Nacua later returned to the game for a short time before leaving. He had made four catches for 35 yards in Sunday’s game before his injury.

The injury was an aggravation of an Aug. 4 injury that occurred during a joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers, but “a little more severe than the previous situation,” McVay said. Nacua missed several weeks before returning to practice on Aug. 26. The receiver was listed as fully fit the week before Sunday’s game in Detroit.

“You can see he’s an impact player,” McVay said. “He catches four passes, he has four catches for almost 50 yards. He has a jet sweep, he does stuff in the run game. He’s a factor. He’s just one of those guys that just makes a difference. And so it’s unfortunate for him, and more importantly, I’m disappointed for the person.”

Last season, Nacua set the records for most passes caught (105) and most receiving yards (1,486) as a rookie in NFL history.

The Rams came away from their Week 1 loss to the Lions with several other serious injuries, particularly on their offensive line. McVay said Joe Noteboom, who started at left tackle on Sunday, left the game with a severe ankle sprain and will “probably be out for a couple of weeks.”

When asked who he thinks will play left tackle this week, McVay said he’ll have a more specific answer later this week. Noteboom filled in for Alaric Jackson, who is suspended for the first two games of the season. The Rams were also without right tackle Rob Havenstein in Week 1 as he returns from an ankle injury. McVay said the Rams will take his return “day by day.”

Left guard Steve Avila left Sunday’s game with an MCL sprain and will likely be placed on the injured list. Right guard Kevin Dotson, who left the locker room in Detroit with a protective boot on his left foot, has a lateral ankle sprain but is day-to-day. McVay said he is “hopeful” Dotson can play in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Rams cornerback Cobie Durant injured his toe on Sunday, McVay said, but his injury is also a day-to-day assessment. The Rams are already without cornerback Darious Williams, who will miss at least three more games while on the injured list due to a hamstring strain.