Rams star Puka Nacua reveals what helped him keep going in return from injury

After a monster breakout rookie campaign with the Los Angeles Rams in the 2023 season, Puka Nacua was expected to potentially reach superstar levels with Matthew Stafford in Sean McVay's offense in his sophomore effort. But the BYU product ultimately ran into the unfortunate reality of a violent sport when a nagging knee injury was aggravated in Week 1.

Nacua ultimately landed on Injured Reserve as a result but now appears to be tantalizingly close to making his return. He was designated for return ahead of the Rams' Week 8 matchup on Thursday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings and given a chance to play in that game despite his designation only opening up a 21-day practice window.

As he's nearing his return, though, Nacua spoke with FanSided and Sterling Holmes of Stacking the Box about his injury recovery, his family of athletes, the transition to the NFL, BYU's attraction and college football and much more. But one thing he had to say about his recovery from the knee injury stood out.

Puka Nacua reveals how Rams teammates helped him keep battling in injury rehab

Nacua first opened up about the experience of being injured but also a hidden benefit of his time recovering, which started to reveal one thing that inspired him through the process.

"It's definitely tough, you know. Injuries are part of the game but something that you never try to let dictate the way you play. But then being able to find the positive side of it. Being able to invest in other relationships on the team."

In terms of those relationships, it was that which helped the Rams wideout keep pushing through in recovery, noting that seeing teammates going through their own battles inspired him to keep moving forward through his own.

"You never wish injuries upon anybody else but you mentioned we had some O-linemen go down. Somebody in my rookie class, Steve Avila, guys like Tyler Higbee who are coming back from injury, and just being able to have a positive environment in the training room was something that was able to keep me going and keep me fine when you see other people going through different injuries — [Derion Kendrick] whose had the ACL injury. So you just see everybody going through their battle and like, 'Man, I can it through my battle as well.' It just gave me a lot of confidence just being around the guys."

You can watch the full interview with Puka Nacua on Stacking the Box:

Nacua finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting last year behind Texans QB C.J. Stroud after the BYU standout recorded 105 catches for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns as well as 12 rushes for 89 yards. In his limited one game in the 2024 season, he caught all four of his targets for 35 yards along with taking one rush attempt for seven yards.

With the Rams off to a 2-4 start, though, the return of Nacua and fellow star receiver Cooper Kupp couldn't come at a better time for LA.

Puka Nacua spoke with FanSided and Stacking the Box on behalf of PepsiCo and their Juntos Crecemos platform. PepsiCo partnered with Nacua and the Los Angeles Rams for their fourth annual "Friday Lunches" program to give back to small businesses in the Los Angeles area, starting with family-owned Casita del Campo where Nacua will give the restaurant a $10,000 check while he and PepsiCo also offer the community one hour of free lunch on Friday, Oct. 25 from 12-2 p.m. PT.