Cooper Kupp is set to make his long-awaited return for the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night, but he might not be the team’s only star receiver coming back from injury in this game. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, there’s optimism that Puka Nacua could also be activated and play against the Vikings.
Nacua has been out since injuring his knee in Week 1 but he returned to practice this week and is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game. He’s still on injured reserve so the Rams will need to activate him by 4 p.m. ET in order for him to play, but it seems there’s at least a chance he could suit up and be active.
“They just opened up Nacua’s practice window a couple of days ago, but he’s listed as questionable,” Pelissero said on NFL Network. “My understanding is there is now optimism that Puka Nacua could play tonight. He’s not going to go out there probably and play 70 snaps. He’s only had one real practice, but he’s had a good week, they put him through some things yesterday. I would imagine they’ll put him through some more things today. If all goes well, it seems like we’re trending toward Puka Nacua at least being active for the Rams tonight.”
Nacua caught four passes for 35 yards in the season opener before going down with a knee injury, which has caused him to miss the last five games. It’s the same injury he suffered in a joint practice with the Chargers in August, but he seems to be trending in the right direction heading into this game.
Jordan Whittington has already been ruled out so he won’t play against the Vikings, which would make the return of Kupp and Nacua all the more beneficial for Los Angeles.
