Is Puka Nacua playing in today vs. Vikings? Full injury update for Rams WR

The LA Rams roster is showing signs of earning respect in the NFL once more. The team, struggling with injuries on both offense and defense, has reached that point in the season when early season injuries begin to abate, and the team starts to make room for those veterans returning after healing back to NFL eligibility.

We know that veteran WR Cooper Kupp suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2. While that injury did not place Kupp on the teams IR list, it did bench Kupp from Week 3 to Week 7 as Kupp healed. There was a chance that Kupp might compete against the Las Vegas Raiders, but a short week and uncertainty as to his full recovery kept him inactive for one more week.

But there is a bit of deceptiveness and showmanship in the NFL. Particularly when the stakes are raised to the level facing the LA Rams this week. It's another must-win game for the team. And that pattern is likely to continue until this team improves to a record comfortably over .500, or loses to the point of having no mathematical route to the NFL playoffs.

Showmanship. The ability to create such a dramatic performance at center stage as to hold the entire audience's attention. Right now, the Rams are mastering showmanship as the team has revealed a bombshell update just hours before the team competes on Thursday Night Football.

The LA Rams offense is not just welcoming back veteran WR Cooper Kupp. But this offense appears to be on track to welcome back WR Puka Nacua as well.

The path for Puka's return

The LA Rams had every reason to be very optimistic for 2024. The team not only felt that WR Cooper Kupp was at his healthiest since the 2021 NFL season in which he flirted with setting NFL All-Time Receiving records, but which led to a victory in Super Bowl LVI.

Joining him was the rookie record-setter Puka Nacua. The pair played a huge role in the Rams winning seven of their last eight games in 2024, and earning a berth in the 2024 NFL Playoffs. But Nacua suffered a painful knee injury in training camp. While the team thought the injury healed, he aggravated the knee injury in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.

That sent him to IR, where he has remained until now. His current status is officially IR/Designated to return, but a solid week of practice has elevated expectations to questionable for Week 8. That optimism has been fueled even further by reports on game day that Nacua has a real shot of competing.

So the question is, how can this be?

Why would the Rams spring Nacua playing at the last minute?

For openers, it could be that the last-minute decision over Puka Nacua's status is truly dependant upon a last minute decision. That decision considers Nacua's limited number of workouts, including the one on Thursday. It's only until all of that data is collected and analyzed that the team has a basis for forming a decision.

Another reason for delaying the decision until the last possible moment is the fact that activating Puka Nacua is not just about Nacua, but about the subsequent roster moves that are required to open a roster slot for him. The Rams need to free up a roster slot, and that could require not only waiving a player to do so, but releasing a player from the practice squad to create a landing spot for the Rams player released from the active roster.

Confused? It's about to get even more complicated.

Rams rookie WR Jordan Whittington suffered a shoulder injury and was a non-factor in Week 7. He has been ruled out for Week 8. That creates more pressure on the team to activate Puka Nacua for Week 8 to sustain the offensive firepower. And in case you don't see how effective the Rams offense might be, Rams reporter J.B. Long just shared the likely top three receivers for Week 8 if everything goes according to plan:

If the Rams have any chance of winning Week 8, the trio of Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Demarcus Robinson is a fine way to even the playing field.

The Rams know that the Minnesota Vikings defense anticipated Kupp's return, and practiced to neutralize him all week. But can the Vikings secondary handle both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua being unleashed in the same week? And can they defend Demarcus Robinson, a veteran wide receiver who has struggled against the best defensive backs, with their third or fourth best player?

Whether planned or not, this is a huge positive development for the Rams. Best of all, the fact that this is a Thursday Night Football game gives players three extra days to rest up and recover before taking on their next opponent.

It's official

As always, thanks for reading.

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