Matt Stafford, who plans to stay in Los Angeles for a few more years, would need all the help he can get to take the Rams to another Super Bowl, including last season’s standout rookie wideout, Puka Nacua. With Cooper Kupp struggling with constant injuries, Nacua’s presence would be crucial, but his recent knee injury this Sunday during a red zone drill has introduced some uncertainty.
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However, during his team press conference, head man Sean McVay gave fans some relief by pointing out that the injury was not as serious as previously thought.
For now, the franchise will monitor Nacua’s recovery weekly, but he currently appears to be in good shape. They expect him to be ready for the Week 1 matchup against the Lions. As reported by insider Adam Schefter, McVay said:
“It’s just going to be week-to-week with him. Nothing serious [or] nothing structurally. He’ll be in good shape. He’ll recover and we’ll be ready to go. No threat of anything for Detroit.”
Puka left the joint practice with the Chargers after going hard against the secondary in a red zone drill. He then left the practice with discomfort and was seen icing his knee on the sidelines. Further tests confirmed that he had injured his right knee.
He will now miss a couple of weeks of practice and the pre-season games. But McVay is not sweating as of yet.
Nacua burst onto the scene, taking advantage of Kupp’s hamstring injury. The 5th-round draft pick finished his debut season with 105 catches for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns.
Despite an impressive season with four NFL records, McVay still trusts veteran Kupp to be WR1 in the offense. However, Puka has a firm grip on WR2. The franchise has plenty of depth in the receiving room, but other than Kupp and Nacua, none stand out. Demarcus Robinson holds the WR3 spot, while TuTu Atwell continues to fall on the depth chart, failing to impress since last season.
The Rams might keep six receivers on the 53-man roster, and Tyler Johnson appears to be one of them. Jordan Whittington has also moved some heads this off-season.
That said, no one stands out like Nacua, who outshone Kupp last season and might even take over the WR1 role in 2024. However, while there is always competition for the top spot, the two wideouts have developed a strong bond.
Puka Nacua’s relationship with Kupp heading into year 2
A lot has changed for Nacua in the span of a year, from being selected as a 5th-round draft pick to becoming one of the top receivers heading into his sophomore year. As it turns out, the former BYU star had a great mentor to guide him.
The wideout sat down with J.B. Long and D’Marco Farr on Inside the Rams to talk about entering his second year with the Rams. While discussing his relationship with Kupp, Nacua stated that the Super Bowl-winning receiver has been like a big brother as well as a mentor to him. He said:
“I feel like I got a big brother and a mentor. We love to compete against each other… He’s the leader of our group and I feel like there’s still so much I have to learn from him. Going into our 2nd year together and having spent the whole offseason, I feel like I got to know him.”
“He’s done such a great job taking me under his wing and also allowing me to grow into my own playstyle,” Nacua continued.
Considering that the Rams had another strong draft and free agency period, teams should refrain from sleeping on them. They were already in the top 10 for offense and have made many additions to their secondary this offseason. Arguably, the club looks poised to be a Super Bowl contender once again.
