During the second quarter of the first Sunday Night Football game of the season, Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua left the field with an apparent injury. Nacua caught a ball from quarterback Matthew Stafford and appeared to fall a little awkwardly.
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He was ruled doubtful for a return due to a knee injury, but he was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Los Angeles likely wants to be cautious with their star player, so it makes sense not to push him back when they don’t know the full extent of the injury.
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With Nacua out, the Rams will have to rely on their other offensive weapons to finish the second half. Los Angeles still has receiver Cooper Kupp, but the focus is now entirely on him.
Nacua had a record-breaking season for an NFL rookie with the Rams last year, so his presence will be missed. He had 105 receptions and 1,486 yards in his first season, while also finding the end zone six times.
Despite his good year, he did not win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Hopefully this injury won’t be too serious for Nacua and he can return next week when the Rams take on the Arizona Cardinals. The second-year receiver got on the field for a few plays before the end of the first half, so hopefully his injury wasn’t too serious.
The Rams need to be careful with Nacua, who has been dealing with a knee injury throughout the preseason. The team doesn’t want that issue to carry over into the season, so playing smart in Week 1 is a good idea.
The Rams’ defense will have to step up with Nacua out for the remainder of the season. LA lost All-Pro Aaron Donald to retirement this offseason, and they traded star linebacker Ernest Jones IV a few weeks before the season began.
Los Angeles entered the half trailing the Lions 10-3 in a rather low-scoring first half. They’ll look to get back on track in the second half, which could be a fun way to open Sunday Night Football.
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