Puka Nacua Injury: Little Deal
If Puka Nacua was actually questionable for the Los Angeles Rams game against the Cincinnati Bengals it would be a big deal. He does after all account for 41.5 percent of all the offensive passing yards in the Rams offense. But according to The Athletics, Jourdan Rodrigue, Sean McVay expects Nacua to play on Monday night.
This is the second week in a row that Puka Nacua has been listed as questionable but as with this week, McVay was confident that the rookie phenom would play. Last week his injury didn’t limit his participation in Week 2. In fact, he played more against the 49ers than he did in Week 1. He played in 79 percent of snaps then 86 percent.
But what seems to be the case is that the Rams are managing his injury rather than giving him the week off to heal, which speaks to just how important he is to the offense, especially until Cooper Kupp returns. But there will be a breaking point.
The way the Rams use Nacua and the way Nacua plays the game results in lots of hits, which increases the chance of injury. Whether it is aggravating the oblique or a new injury. Managing this injury is a tight rope walk with Kupp’s return date as the goal at the end of the rope.
How the Rams vs. Bengals plays out will definitely have an effect on Nacua’s involvement throughout the game. Which will be influenced by who is under center for the Bengals; Joe Burrow or Jake Browning. Either way, there is potential that the Rams have this one under control, allowing Puka Nacua some additional rest.
More on Rams vs. Bengals:
The Rams Skinny Podcast| Full Game Preview
Los Angeles Rams Game Today: TV Schedule, Channel, And More
Rams Injury Report: Week 3, At Cincinnati
Rams Vs. Bengals: 3 Biggest Matchups To Watch In Super Bowl Rematch
Cam Akers Traded: Rams to Swap 2026 Draft Picks With Minnesota For The RB
Joe Burrow Injury: Big Deal
How much confidence do the Bengals have in Joe Burrow’s calf? Not a lot. Today they added another quarterback to the room; AJ McCarron. McCarron’s addition won’t play into the Rams game, but it does show that the Bengals are preparing for Burrow missing some games.
How it does play into this game is it signals the increased likelihood that Bengals backup QB, Jake Browning, will play. I would be shocked if Joe Burrow didn’t get the start, but my guess is that Cincinnati will be very cautious with their $275 million investment.
Sean McVay said that the Rams are preparing for Joe Burrow to start but.. “Whether it’s Joe, whether it’s Browning, it’s gonna be a really great challenge for us. That’s our expectation, and we’ll go with that until I hear otherwise.”