Puka Nacua injury update: Latest on Rams WR for Week 14 Fantasy Football

Fantasy football fans all over the world have been awestruck by Puka Nacua's performances for the Los Angeles Rams. The rookie wide receiver has helped the Super Bowl LVI champions return to playoff contention at 6-6 and second in the NFC West.

On Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, Nacua had 1,006 receiving yards—the franchise record for a rookie. After the game, head coach Sean McVay could only marvel at the achievement:

"Nothing surprises me with him anymore... He's done a great job, and the best thing about him is he's going to just continue to get better, continue to be coachable and accountable and only going to take steps in this type of direction. And we love him."

But has it come at a price?

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Puka Nacua injury update

Puka Nacua clutches his ribs vs Cleveland Browns

On Monday, the Rams disclosed another Puka Nacua injury to deal with: an AC sprain he sustained the previous day. McVay said:

"He was able to kind of gut through it and play really well once he even came back and made a handful of big-time plays. So we might be smart with him early on in the week, but don't expect that to affect his ability to be ready to go with a great challenge this week."

And that is on top of the rib injury he sustained during the second quarter of the Browns game. He had said afterward:

"We came and just got some scans and stuff, did some mobility and strength testing. Just trying to gage where I was at and make sure I was ready to go."

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What happened to Puka Nacua?

Puka Naua celebrates vs Cleveland Browns

Nacua's injuries occurred with 8:10 remaining in the second quarter, when he leapt to receive a pass for 20 yards. He landed hard on his right side, and was visibly seen clutching it as he returned to the sidelines.

This, however, is not the first time he has had to deal with injuries, mainly to his rib. He took several shots to the ribs during his debut against Seattle Seahawks, forcing him to miss a September pratice with an oblique injury.

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When will Puka Nacua return?

Puka Nacua runs vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Sean McVay is confident his highly-prized rookie can recover quickly and be back on the field against the Baltimore Ravens. However, the accumulation of injuries and pain might temporarily halt the Puka Nacua hype train.

If it does, then the earliest he is expected to return is in Week 15 against the Washington Commanders, who will be coming off their bye week.