Puka Nacua Designated to Return from IR by Rams amid Knee Injury Recovery

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is nearing a return.

Nacua was designated for return rom injured reserve by the Rams and rejoined practice on Tuesday ahead of Thursday's Week 7 matchup with the visiting Minnesota Vikings.

Nacua was placed on IR after suffering a knee injury on Sept. 8 during the Rams' Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions.

He recorded 1,486 receiving yards for the Rams last season in his record-breaking rookie campaign.

Nacua suffered the injury on a tackle following a reception in the second quarter of the Week 1 loss.

The tackle aggravated a knee injury Nacua originally suffered on Aug. 4 during a joint training camp practice with the Los Angeles Chargers (h/t ESPN's Sarah Barshop).

The first injury sidelined Nacua from practice for three weeks, and the second injury was "a little bit more significant," head coach Sean McVay told reporters.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported ahead of Week 2 that the Rams believed Nacua could be sidelined through Week 8.

"The Rams want to make sure they are careful with Nacua and not rush him back," Schefter wrote, adding that the franchise "wants to do whatever is needed to ensure there are no more setbacks to the injury."

The Rams now have 21 days to add Nacua to the active roster. Should they decide not to active him, the wideout would need to return to the IR for the rest of the season.

His pending return will present a massive boost for quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has struggled with just three touchdown passes and four interceptions so far this season.

Regaining Nacua is even more important for the Rams given the injury issues and trade rumors surrounding Cooper Kupp, which have left fourth-year wideout Tutu Atwell and rookie Jordan Whittington as Stafford's top targets for the majority of the season.

After Thursday night's game against the Vikings, the Rams get more than a week off before their next contest on the road against the Seattle Seahawks the following Sunday. Those extra days potentially increase the chance that Nacua could rejoin the roster before Week 9.