Aaron Donald’s comeback has hit a snag, but the Rams will have one of their best players back for Sunday’s game against the Eagles.
Head coach Sean McVay announced in his Friday press conference that Donald is one of a few players who have been ruled out with a back injury. He did not practice all week.
“He is as tough as it gets. Just not feeling good enough,” McVay said, via Gary Klein of the L.A. Times. “He would do it and he could probably go be productive, but part of our job is to protect these tough dudes like him from themselves.”
But McVay added that receiver Puka Nacua will not have a game status and is set to play after missing the last two games with a hip injury.
Via Sarah Barshop of ESPN, McVay noted Nacua “looked sharp” at practice on Thursday but the Rams still may monitor the receiver’s snap count.
In addition to Donald, the Rams have also ruled out cornerback Jaylen Watson (shoulder) and tight end Terrance Ferguson (ankle).
Tight end Colby Parkinson (knee/shoulder) is questionable, as is linebacker Grant Stuard (groin).
Finally, McVay said Alex Bachman will replace Xavier Smith as the team’s punt returner. Smith was waived earlier on Friday.
Earlier this week, Rams special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone told reporters that the team was not considering making a change at punt returner.
That plan has apparently changed.
Los Angeles announced on Friday that the team has waived receiver/returner Xavier Smith.
Smith had served as the team’s primary punt returner for each of the last two seasons. But he also has made some critical mistakes, including fielding a punt deep in L.A. territory that looked like it would be a touchback in the third quarter of last week’s eventual loss to Denver.
Smith averaged 9.9 yards per punt return and 20.6 yards per kick return over the first three weeks this season.
While he had not caught a pass in 2026, he recorded 18 catches for 303 yards in 2025.
The Rams’ unofficial depth chart listed Konata Mumpfield as the team’s backup punt returner. We’ll see if he in fact does get the nod at the position when L.A. takes on Philadelphia on Sunday.
Broncos special teams coach Darren Rizzi says his colleagues around the league almost all agree that holders should be allowed on kickoffs only if the wind is blowing the ball off the tee, and not to give the kicking team an advantage by placing the ball at an unusual angle.
Under the NFL’s dynamic kickoff rule, a 12th player can take the field as a holder on kickoffs, with our without the use of a tee, as long as the holder runs off the field immediately after the ball is kicked. Rizzi says the intent of the rule was to allow the kicking team to ensure the ball would stay in the tee on windy days, but the Eagles gained attention in Week 2 for using a holder just to hold the ball on the ground at an odd angle, which changes the trajectory of the kick and makes it harder to return.
Rizzi helped organize a conference call of special teams coordinators and said almost everyone agreed that the NFL should change the way the rule is officiated so that kickoffs are on a tee and holders are for weather conditions, not creating an advantage for the kicker.
“We don’t want the ball on the edge, we don’t want the ball on the ground, we don’t want the ball held sideways. We want just a regular kickoff,” Rizzi said. “That’s kind of what was discussed amongst the coordinators. If we’re not unanimous, we’re darn close to it, the way we feel about it. That’s why you saw some holders come out to start the game. And that’s really not the intent. It’s a work in progress. It hasn’t been remedied yet.”
Rizzi said there’s no question the kicking team benefits from using the holder.
“There’s definitely an advantage from the kicker’s standpoint because the different angles you can create with the ball,” Rizzi said. “That’s fine if you want to kick one of those knuckleballs or dirty balls with the ball in a tee, have at it. Adding the 12th player to create an advantage is something we want to stay away from.”
The rules allow for the holder, but Rizzi would like to see an administrative change similar to the one the NFL made during the 2022 season, when the Raiders were told they had to stop using a holder to place the football on top of the tee, rather than in the tee. Rizzi said he believes the NFL will do that.
“It’s a small little thing that created a big problem.” Rizzi said. “I think we’re gonna get it resolved.”
Rams receiver Puka Nacua has missed the last two games with a hip injury. He’s moving closer to a return.
“I’m taking it one day at a time, but I felt great being out there, full practice today for the first time,” Nacua told reporters on Thursday. “I’m getting my feet under me, hearing all the play calls. It’s not as foreign as it used to sound from Matthew Stafford, but he’s definitely in full flow and rhythm. It’s nice to be able to hear that play call in the huddle. I have to make sure I buckle my stuff up before so I can really focus on what he’s saying.”
Nacua said twice on Thursday that he fully participated in practice; officially, he was listed as limited.
He first noticed the problem a couple of weeks ago at practice.
“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. I was trying to grind through it, but definitely some sharp pains that I started to feel that put me down.”
Now, he’s able to do what he used to do.
“One hundred percent,” Nacua said. “I’ve been working through it like getting acceleration, change of direction. Today being a full participant in practice, I was definitely able to work through some of the rustiness.”
It’s been described by the Rams as a hip problem. It’s been referred to elsewhere as a groin injury. It’s basically both.
“The hip area, this right side on the front side of the hip and groin,” Nacua said. “I was feeling it really in that hip. Then with all the connection, understanding . . . everything in this hip area being tied down to all parts of everything, core and change of direction and things like that so really on the right hip-groin area.”
Whatever the specific problem, it seems to be resolving itself. And the Rams could use the boost that would come from Nacua’s presence on the field on Sunday at the Eagles.
The Rams’ injury report remained the same as on Wednesday aside from wide receiver Davante Adams returning from a rest day and nose tackle Poona Ford taking a rest day.
Defensive end Aaron Donald (back) was one of four players who missed practice a second consecutive day.
Cornerback Jaylen Watson (shoulder) and tight ends Colby Parkinson (knee/shoulder) and Terrance Ferguson (ankle) also didn’t practice again.
Receiver Puka Nacua (hip) remained limited Thursday.
Safety Kam Kinchens (hamstring), cornerback Josh Wallace (shoulder) and inside linebacker Nate Landman (shoulder) also were limited again.
