The Los Angeles Rams just can’t catch a break when it comes to injuries this season. On Monday, the Rams announced that they will be without wide receiver Puka Nacua as he heads to injured reserve. According to Ian Rapoport, Nacua sprained his MCL and PCL late in the game against the Washington Commanders and will now be out for at least four weeks.

With Nacua headed to injured reserve, the soonest he would be able to come back is for the Rams’ Week 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys. It’s unfortunate timing for the Rams as Nacua is now set to miss arguably the most important part of their schedule. He’ll at least miss the team’s games against the Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers. 

Nacua got hurt on the second-to-last drive of the game against the Commanders. The Rams called a jet sweep to Nacua, who took a helmet to the knee. While the Rams were confident that Nacua didn’t tear his ACL, missing time always felt like a possibility.

Without Nacua, the Rams will now be down their top two wide receivers for the immediate future. Davante Adams was placed on injured reserve following the loss to the Arizona Cardinals. His timeline was 6-10 weeks, and the Rams hope to have him back closer to the 6-8 week range. Still, Adams will likely miss the next three to four games as well. 

That leaves the Rams with Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell, and Jordan Whittington as their top three wide receivers. While the Rams were set to get Terrance Ferguson back last week, a last-minute hamstring injury during Friday’s practice likely sidelined him through the bye. 

The Rams' decision not to add a wide receiver in the offseason remains a huge oversight. Adams was coming off of a hamstring injury and Nacua hasn’t played all 17 games since his rookie year. The chances of both staying healthy were low, especially with Nacua averaging 13 targets per game given his physical playstyle. Nacua had already missed time with a groin/hip injury early in the season.

Now, to be clear, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Rams should have drafted a wide receiver with the 13th overall pick. If Ty Simpson works out, that was the right call. However, the Rams had opportunities to draft Antonio Williams over Max Klare in the second round. They also could have added veterans such as Keenan Allen or Stefon Diggs before training camp.

Nacua’s injury is the latest setback in what has been an injury-riddled season for the Rams. Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Myles Garrett, Jaylen Watson, Kobie Turner, and Aaron Donald are among players for the Rams who have missed multiple games due to injury. Adams, Nacua, Garrett, Turner, and Watson are players who have now been on injured reserve. The Rams simply can’t seem to catch a break. 

With the trade deadline on Tuesday, the Rams still have time to find a solution at wide receiver to help navigate the next four weeks. At 5-4 and entering a critical part of the season, the Rams need to continue winning games if they’re going to make the playoffs in a very difficult NFC.