Puka Nacua was listed as questionable for Sunday’s Week 7 game against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas after a calf injury left him on the Rams’ injury report Friday. The timing matters because the Rams are heading into kickoff with one of their top offensive pieces still under a cloud.
That search for answers is centered on what changed during practice. Nacua left Thursday early with the calf issue, then on Friday Sean McVay said he took part in a majority of practice before leaving to get it checked out. McVay said he did not think Nacua knew exactly when the injury occurred, which is part of why the status stayed unsettled even after the coach called it minor.
The practice detail gives the clearest read on where this stands. McVay said there was “a little minor thing in there,” and that Nacua was not able to have “some of the power and full explosion” he usually brings. Put simply, he was active enough to keep working, but not full-speed enough to remove every doubt before Sunday. That is why questionable is the right designation, and why the Rams had to wait on availability rather than rule him cleanly in or out on Friday.
Nacua’s situation sits alongside a broader Week 7 injury report that also left Trent McDuffie questionable with a groin injury after not practicing all week, while Nate Landman was ruled out with a concussion. McVay said Landman was making good progress and added that Los Angeles would elevate Eric Kendricks from the practice squad because Landman was out. On the Raiders side, Carter Runyon and Dont'e Thornton were ruled out, and Mike Washington was listed as questionable.
The final answer will come on Sunday, when the Rams and Raiders meet at 1:25 p.m. PT. Until then, the only clean read is that Nacua is not being treated as a long-term concern, but he is still not fully clear of it either.
