The Los Angeles Rams won't be placing Puka Nacua on injured reserve despite the star wide receiver being expected to miss a significant stretch of time.

Head coach Sean McVay told reporters Wednesday that the decision comes down to roster mechanics, with the Rams needing to preserve their limited IR return designations for other injured players. McVay added that Nacua is still expected to miss a “significant period of time.”

Nacua suffered MCL and PCL sprains, along with turf toe, in the Rams' Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders. McVay initially said the receiver would miss at least a month, making an IR stint seem likely. However, Los Angeles ultimately placed Jordan Whittington on IR with a back injury instead.

This is where the "roster mechanics" that McVay mentioned come into play. The Rams already used three of their eight allotted IR return designations this season, leaving just five for the remainder of the regular season. They have several players they'd like to bring back, though, including wide receiver Davante Adams, defensive tackle Kobie Turner and tight end Terrance Ferguson. Offensive lineman Steve Avila is another potential candidate if he goes to injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

With only eight regular-season games remaining, using a designation on Nacua could make it difficult to activate some of those other players later in the year. Not placing Nacua on IR and knowing he won't play for a while, though, means the Rams' 53-man roster will be even more depleted on gamedays.

The timing of the Rams' Week 11 bye also works in their favor, though. If Nacua's recovery takes just four weeks, there's a possibility he could return for Los Angeles' Week 14 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers and miss only three games.

For now, the Rams are opting to keep Nacua on the active roster rather than use one of their increasingly valuable IR return spots, even though he won't be available. In the absence of Nacua, Adams and Whittington, the team will rely on Konata Mumpfied, Tutu Atwell, Xavier Smith and 2026 sixth-round rookie CJ Daniels.