The Los Angeles Rams will be without Aaron Donald on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, but they’re getting Puka Nacua back.
Donald is sidelined with a sore back after missing practice all week, and coach Sean McVay ruled him out Friday. The three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year has played in two games since ending his two-season retirement, posting four tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit.
McVay said the Rams were taking a cautious approach with the 35-year-old defensive tackle and suggested Donald likely could have pushed through it if necessary.
“We have to protect him from him,” McVay said. “This guy will do everything (to play) and that much more.”
Nacua is set to return after sitting out two games with a hip and groin injury. He caught five passes for 74 yards in the season opener against the 49ers, then missed the Giants and Broncos after getting hurt in practice on Sept. 17.
“Just in some of the change of direction stuff, some of the stuff in my hip area just was not feeling great,” Nacua said. “It was causing me some pain and some restriction in some of my movements.”
The Rams also ruled out tight end Terrance Ferguson because of an ankle injury and cornerback Jaylen Watson with a shoulder issue. Tight end Colby Parkinson, dealing with knee and shoulder problems, and outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart, who has a groin injury, are questionable.
McVay said wide receiver Alex Bachman is likely to be elevated from the practice squad to help on special teams after the Rams waived return specialist Xavier Smith on Friday.
That move came a day after special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone criticized Smith’s play, though he also said the team was not planning to replace the third-year receiver from Florida A&M. Smith’s spot had already been under the microscope after he muffed a punt that led to a Seattle touchdown in the Seahawks’ 31-27 win over the Rams in the NFC championship last season.
“We just need better production out of that position,” McVay said. “That’s exclusively what it was.”
“We weren’t thinking about it when (Ventrone) talked to you guys yesterday. And as you get a chance to kind of take a step back, evaluate the totality of our group - what’s the best way to try to be able to put together all three phases? Did feel like that was in the best interest of the group, and that was kind of what went into it.”
In Other News...
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Zach Charbonnet was back on the field in a limited capacity after working his way back from an ACL tear, a sign the Seahawks are at least moving him closer to availability. He is not yet eligible to play in games, but his return to practice adds another layer to a backfield that already looks thin at the moment, especially with Seattle still sorting through who will be available when the Chargers come to town. [Read more 🡒]
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Even with that uneven ground game, the offense has still managed to put up 25 points per game on average, which is part of why the bigger concern feels less like a collapse than a work in progress. The expectation around the team is that the rushing attack should improve as the pieces settle, but for now it remains tied to a larger question about how quickly Seattle can regain consistency across the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Get Encouraging Injury News Before A Bigger Chargers Test
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Los Angeles, meanwhile, had a more uneven day on the field. Some Chargers players were back to full participation, but Derwin James and Ladd McConkey did not practice after being limited the previous day, a sign that the situation still bears watching on both sides of the matchup. For Seattle, the encouraging developments are helpful, but the real test will be how much of that progress carries into a game against a Chargers team that is still sorting out its own health. [Read more 🡒]