The Los Angeles Rams have been without Puka Nacua for two weeks now, though they’re finally getting him back for Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Nacua is dealing with a hip/groin injury, and in this weekend’s matchup, he’s likely to be on a bit of a snap count. The extent of that snap count is unknown, but the Rams are clearly expressing significant caution with Nacua.
The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones revealed exactly why there’s so much caution with Nacua, pointing to two key reasons for the Rams’ caution with their superstar wide receiver. The mental hurdle for Nacua and the risk of re-injury are limiting Nacua right now.
Rams have two reasons behind caution with Puka Nacua
“Per a source, the Rams not playing Nacua has nothing to do with what he does or will do on the field,” Jones reports. “Nacua, according to a source, has to overcome the mental hurdle of his injury. But it is further complicated by his physical style of play and a worry that he risks re-injury upon return.”
The mental hurdle for Nacua coming back from this injury to his hip/groin is a real issue and is likely one of the reasons for the Rams to be cautious with their star WR this season.
Nacua himself also likely wants to be cautious with his injury issue, as he’s in a contract year, and getting hurt would significantly hurt his odds of landing a big contract this offseason.
With a tricky injury already in play, it should not be a surprise that the Rams and Nacua are being extra careful this season.
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Even though the mental hurdle is a big issue for Nacua, on top of just being healthy enough to play, the risk of further injury is something worth worrying about.
His style of play is very physical, and when he’s fully healthy, he’s one of the NFL’s most dominant receivers. He’s expected to play in Week 4, but the extent of his playing time will be determined by how confident he is in playing through this injury.
A risk of further injury is looming over the Rams and Nacua and is likely one of the big reasons why they’re being so cautious with him.
He’s someone Rams fans should keep a close eye on in Week 4, as seeing how he’s faring with his injury issue is going to be very important in determining how much value he can bring to the Rams not just in Week 4, but going forward as he deals with this injury.
