Sean McVay says the Rams should get two key pieces back on the practice field next week, with Myles Garrett and Puka Nacua both trending toward a return after missing time with injuries.
McVay said after practice that neither player is expected back immediately, but the outlook is better than it was earlier in the week.
“Puka is doing good, whether or not we wait for next week or not, we’re just kind of taking it a day at a time,” McVay said, via Zach Edwards of the team’s website. “Then Myles, we’ll see, probably next week as to when we think we’ll get those guys back.”
He added that Garrett was moving around before practice, while Nacua is still dealing with soreness.
“Myles is doing a good job. He was out here moving around before.
Puka still has some soreness there,” McVay added. “We’re going to err on the side of caution while not minimizing how important it is to get those guys out here.”
Garrett has been managing swelling in his knee, and Nacua is coming off a core muscle injury suffered last week.
McVay also made clear that the goal is bigger than simply getting both players back on the field. He wants them practicing at a high level before they’re fully cleared.
“It gets to a point where, hey, we need our guys out there to be able to practice to get ready to simulate what’s going to be a great, long, challenging season,” McVay said. “No matter how great you are when you’re in those guys’ roles, we need to be able to get them out there. But we want to make sure that it’s a return to performance, not just return to play.”
There were more injury updates, too. McVay said offensive lineman Keagan Trost and receiver Mario Williams are likely to miss a few weeks because of hamstring injuries.
The Rams are set to host the Saints on Saturday afternoon in the second week of preseason action.
In Other News...
Aaron Donald Just Put Rams Week 1 Plans In Doubt
Aaron Donalds return remains in limbo as the Rams move closer to a Week 1 trip to Australia, with the star defensive tackle still going through his process on a possible comeback. Sean McVay said Donald has continued to work through the situation, and the veteran has already completed two workouts with the team in August, keeping open the possibility that he could still rejoin the roster.
Even so, the uncertainty is hard to ignore this late in the calendar. NFL insider Mike Florio suggested Donald may not be there when the Rams open the season overseas, and with no final decision made, the team is left waiting on one of the biggest questions on its early schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Sean McVay Sent Rams Fans A Clear Message About Ty Simpson
Ty Simpsons first preseason outing with the Rams gave the team exactly the kind of glimpse coaches want in August: calm execution, efficient throws and a quarterback who looked comfortable working within the offense. Against mostly lower-tier defenders, Simpson handled the moment well enough to turn heads, completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns while showing the sort of poise that can make a backup quarterback conversation worth following.
Sean McVay made clear after the game that the performance was about more than just a clean stat line, pointing to Simpsons decision-making, timing, accuracy and footwork as reasons for the encouraging showing. Even with that praise, the Rams know one preseason game does not settle anything, and the real question now is whether Simpson can keep stacking those traits when the competition gets faster and the looks get tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Bubble Standouts Just Made Final Roster Cuts More Complicated
The Rams preseason win over the Chiefs gave a few fringe players a chance to turn heads at exactly the right time, and several of them did just that. Running back Dean Connors, tight end Mark Redman, receiver Brennan Presley and safety Nick Andersen all flashed in ways that are hard to ignore once roster decisions get serious, which is exactly what makes this stage of camp so tricky for coaches trying to sort out the back end of the roster.
Connors in particular added some urgency to the conversation with a performance that stood out among the group, while Redman, Presley and Andersen also put together outings that could keep them in the mix for a practice-squad role or draw attention elsewhere. The problem for all of them is the same: strong August tape does not always overcome crowded depth charts, and the Rams now have a more complicated final cutdown than they probably expected. [Read more 🡒]