LOS ANGELES – The status of Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is uncertain ahead of their game against Seattle on Sunday, as he has reportedly aggravated a knee injury during practice this week.

Nacua had initially sustained an injury to his right knee during training camp, which was further exacerbated during the season opener in Detroit, leading to an extended absence of five games while he was placed on injured reserve. He made a return last week, contributing significantly to the team’s success in a win against Minnesota by recording seven receptions for 106 yards. However, he left practice early on Thursday.

Coach Sean McVay provided an update indicating that Nacua’s knee showed no significant structural damage following this recent incident, but he did miss practice on Friday. McVay expressed cautious optimism about Nacua’s recovery and noted, “It’s often the case that if you’re coming off an injury, your body reacts in such a way that it can be alarming, but it might just be that the scar tissue was affected a bit.” The assessment of the knee appeared to be promising based on the examination.

Nacua had an impressive rookie season, setting franchise records with 105 catches and totaling an impressive 1,486 receiving yards.

The Rams will also be without punter Ethan Evans for Sunday’s match due to illness. His absence means that either Ty Zentner or Ryan Sanborn will be elevated from the practice squad to take over those duties against the Seahawks.

Evans not only serves as a punter but also functions as the holder for field goals and extra points, along with handling kickoffs.