Locals in the NFL: Puka Nacua reportedly injured late in Rams win
Nov 8, 2026, 5:08 PM
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 08: Puka Nacua #12 of the Los Angeles Rams is tackled by Quan Martin #20 of the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium on November 08, 2026 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Another dominant performance from Puka Nacua ended with a new concern for the Los Angeles Rams.
Nacua is expected to undergo a knee MRI Monday after being injured on the Rams’ final offensive snap in their 20-13 victory over the Washington Commanders, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
“All-Pro WR Puka Nacua suffered a knee injury on the Rams’ final offensive snap today, and will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury,” Schefter wrote on X.
All-Pro WR Puka Nacua suffered a knee injury on the Rams’ final offensive snap today, and will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, per @MikeGarafolo and me. The team does not believe he suffered a torn ACL, but the imaging Monday will tell more. https://t.co/S264w2Fe0A
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 8, 2026
The uncertainty comes at a difficult time for Los Angeles.
Nacua has been the centerpiece of the Rams’ passing game, and the team already is without former All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, who is on injured reserve.
Nacua finished Sunday’s win with a game-high 14 catches for 150 yards and his fourth receiving touchdown of the season.
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“He was awesome,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “That’s one of the things that we want to be able to show as coaches, is show confidence to come right back to you. He made a bunch of plays. We needed all 14 of those catches.”
Nacua spoke with reporters after the game and did not mention the knee injury.
Puka Nacua after the Rams victory. He talked about going into the medical tent after being flagged for concussion protocol, but mentioned nothing about the knee injury and seemed okay to me. https://t.co/jdxNjr0cyD
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) November 8, 2026
The former BYU and Orem High standout has 70 catches for 715 yards and four touchdowns this season.
If Nacua misses time, the Rams’ receiver depth will be tested quickly. Only two other Los Angeles wide receivers caught passes Sunday. Konata Mumpfield had two catches for 20 yards, while Tutu Atwell added two receptions for 16 yards.
The Rams face NFC West rival Arizona next Sunday before their Week 11 bye, giving Los Angeles a short-term challenge and then a potential window for Nacua to recover, depending on what Monday’s MRI reveals.
Los Angeles Rams (5-4)
- Puka Nacua, WR, BYU/Orem High: Starting wide receiver caught a game-high 14 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown on offense
Washington Commanders (2-5-1)
- Tanoa Togiai, OG, Utah: Reserve lineman was inactive for Week 9
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About Puka Nacua
Nacua’s path to Los Angeles began at Orem High, where he set multiple state records before starting his college career at Washington.
After two seasons with the Huskies, he transferred to BYU ahead of the 2021 season. He finished his two-year Cougars career with 91 catches for 1,430 yards and 11 touchdowns, adding five rushing touchdowns.
The Rams selected Nacua in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft with the No. 177 overall pick. He quickly made that selection look like a bargain.
#Rams All-Pro WR Puka Nacua suffered a knee injury on the final offensive snap today and will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, per @AdamSchefter and me.
The team does not believe he suffered a torn ACL, but the imaging Monday will tell more. https://t.co/IxQEM00mXF
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 8, 2026
Nacua set NFL rookie records with 105 catches and 1,486 receiving yards in 2023, scoring six touchdowns. He earned second-team All-Pro honors and finished second to C.J. Stroud in voting for AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Injuries limited Nacua during his second season, but he still finished with 79 catches for 990 yards and three touchdowns.
He followed that with his first first-team All-Pro selection in 2025, leading the NFL with 129 catches. He finished with 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in the NFL, Locals in MLB, and the Utah State Aggies. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.
