BALTIMORE — Puka Nacua did not practice Wednesday as he recovers from an ankle sprain, and Rams coach Sean McVay said he’s unsure if the star wide receiver will be able to at all this week.
Nacua sprained his left ankle in the second quarter of the Rams’ 17-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday while attempting to catch a pass in the end zone. He returned to the game in the third quarter but did not have another target.
On Monday, McVay said the team was “encouraged” by the scans of Nacua’s ankle, saying it believes he avoided a long-term injury.
The Rams held their first practice of the week Wednesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, as they prepare to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in Week 7. McVay said “it’s hard to say right now” whether Nacua will practice at all this week.
“There’s a difference between return to play, return to performance,” McVay said. “You want to put him in a position to have successful outcomes. I do think some of that is reflected in is he able to go through practice and really get a good feel to allow him to feel comfortable and confident in what we would be asking if he goes.
“If not, then you have a ton of confidence in the group that with the guys that’ll be asked to take on bigger roles. You don’t ever replace a stud like him, but we’ve got a lot of confidence in the other guys if that’s the case.”
When asked if there was any way Nacua could play in London if he didn’t practice this week, McVay said, “I think it’d probably be tough to say.”
“I certainly don’t want to pigeonhole myself into a kind of an approach like that, but I think that you would like him to be able to [practice],” McVay said.
Nacua entered the game against the Ravens leading the NFL in receptions and receiving yards and had the most catches by a player in his team’s first five games of a season in league history.
Nacua had two receptions for 28 yards before the injury, giving him 54 catches for 616 yards and two touchdowns this season.
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