Technically speaking, the Los Angeles Rams still have everything in front of them with a 5-4 record. But they will likely have to manage one heck of a midseason injury storm to even qualify for the NFC playoffs.
The latest development in Los Angeles concerns that of star receiver Puka Nacua, as the Rams take on the rival Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The two-time All-Pro suffered a knee injury during the late stages of a win over the Washington Commanders in Week 9. The injury landed Nacua on injured reserve at the same time the Rams were already without another offensive bellwether in Davante Adams.
This paints a picture where the Rams' current No. 1 receiver is ... Tutu Atwell? Konata Mumpfield? Oof. Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay are wizards
if they can pull off a functional-looking offense for a little while:
Coach McVay on the decision to put Puka Nacua on IR. pic.twitter.com/xkMnmImGBE
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 13, 2026
The big question with Nacua now is: When is he coming back to the Rams' lineup?
Well, with the playmaker on injured reserve, that means he has to miss a minimum of four weeks.
That means, in the most optimistic scenario, Nacua won't play on Sunday against the Cardinals, he will be off with the rest of the Rams during their Week 11 bye, and then he will also miss ensuing games against the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. The earliest Nacua might come back is for a road game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 14 on Sunday, December 13th. If the Rams elect to give Nacua another week of recovery, I would venture to guess that he would be back, by the latest, for a home game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14 on Sunday, December 20th.
Woof. It's a tough blow for the Rams to be without their best offensive weapon for a good while. But if anyone can weather this storm, it's McVay and Stafford. We'll see what happens over the next month or so.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: When will Puka Nacua come back to the Rams?
