It’s been a bad night for the New York Giants.
After losing quarterback Jaxson Dart to a knee injury (he’s questionable to return), receiver Malik Nabers has been injured.
Nabers left the game after apparently injuring his upper right arm.
He tried to make a contested catch while being covered by Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie. Immediately after the play, Nabers put his left hand over the area between his bicep and shoulder.
Nabers was in considerable pain. His status will be updated, presumably sooner than later.
The Giants trail the Rams, 7-0.
Nabers returned to action in Week 1 after suffering a torn ACL in his knee last September. It was uncertain whether he’d play in the opener until pregame warmups. He caught six passes for 69 yards against the Cowboys. He has one catch for one yard against the Rams.
UPDATE 9:02 p.m. ET: It’s being described as a shoulder injury for Nabers.
Rams Clips
Matthew Stafford doesn’t have Puka Nacua, but he does have Davante Adams. And Adams showed he still has something left at 33 years old, and in his 13th season.
The Rams wide receiver caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Stafford with 11 seconds left in the first quarter. The Rams lead 7-0.
The Rams faced a second-and-14 when Stafford hit Adams after a rub by Giants linebacker Zaire Barnes on Adams. Stafford got it just over Barnes’ hand, but it was high, and Adams reached out and snagged it.
It was Adams’ 118th career touchdown, ranking him seventh in NFL history.
He had two catches for 50 yards in the first quarter.
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is questionable to return with a knee injury.
Dart was able to walk on his own to the locker room for further examination.
Rams defenders Josaiah Stewart and Byron Young pressured Dart on a third-down incompletion. Young hit Dart high, pushing him into Stewart, and, with Dart airborne, his left knee jammed into Stewart’s quad.
Dart remained on the ground with 11:20 left in the first quarter as players from both teams watched in concern.
He initially limped to the sideline medical tent.
Dart is 3-for-5 for 20 yards.
Veteran backup Jameis Winston has replaced Dart.
Jaxson Dart was injured on the seventh play of Monday night’s game.
The Giants quarterback got sandwiched between Rams defenders Josaiah Stewart and Byron Young. Young hit Dart high, pushing him into Stewart, and Stewart’s leg met Dart’s left knee.
Dart remained on the ground, holding his left knee, after the incompletion with 11:20 remaining in the first quarter.
He limped to the sideline medical tent for further evaluation and then slowly walked to the training room.
Dart is 3-for-5 for 20 yards.
Jameis Winston has replaced Dart for the second series.
Aaron Donald may be back, but the Rams will not have one of their best offensive players for Monday night’s matchup against the Giants.
Puka Nacua is officially inactive due to his hip injury.
Reports had indicated this was the way things were trending for Nacua, who did not practice on Friday or Saturday.
Nacua caught five passes for 74 yards in the Rams’ season-opening loss to the 49ers.
For the Giants, cornerback Deonte Banks and linebacker Micah McFadden are both inactive after they were listed as questionable.
New York’s remaining inactives are tight end Thomas Fidone, offensive lineman J.C. Davis, defensive lineman Bobby Jamison-Travis, defensive lineman Darius Alexander, and safety Jason Pinnock.
For the Rams, Nacua, receiver Jordan Whittington, safety Kamren Kinchens, receiver C.J. Daniels, guard Bill Murray, and quarterback Ty Simpson are inactive. Simpson is Los Angeles’ emergency third QB.
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald last played in a football game on January 14, 2024, when the Rams lost to the Lions at Ford Field in the divisional round of the playoffs. On September 21, 2026, he’ll be back.
“It’s go time,” Donald told Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. (Izzy Mandelbaum approves this message.)
Per Glazer, Donald will start the game and play in a rotation. And he’ll be playing without the player whose arrival sparked the flicker that became a flame that eventually launched Donald’s unretirement. Myles Garrett will miss Monday night’s game, and at least three more, after having arthroscopic knee surgery.
Donald’s return could give the L.A. defense a much-needed boost against the 1-0 Giants, whose offense was methodical, productive, and ultimately successful in a 28-20 win over the Cowboys last Sunday night.
And it’s important for the Rams to avoid an 0-2 start. The 49ers, who face the Dolphins on Sunday, and the Seahawks, who travel to Arizona, could move to 2-0.
The Giants have two players with game statuses for Monday night’s game against the Rams.
Cornerback Deonte Banks (calf) and linebacker Micah McFadden (neck) as questionable for the contest.
Banks was a limited participant on Thursday but did not practice on Friday or Saturday. He registered four tackles and two passes defensed in the season-opening win over the Cowboys.
McFadden has been limited in practice all week.
While offensive tackle Andre Thomas (ankle) has been limited all week, he does not have a game status and is set to play.
Cornerback Greg Newsome (rib), defensive lineman Chauncey Golston (neck), and offensive lineman Sisi Mauigoa (shoulder) were all upgraded from limited to full on Saturday and are set to play.
The Rams are already without one of their top defensive players for the next four weeks.
Now, they may be without one of their key offensive players, too.
Head coach Sean McVay told reporters in his Saturday press conference that receiver Puka Nacua will not practice on Saturday and will be listed as questionable for Monday night’s matchup against the Giants.
While Nacua was listed with a hip issue on the injury report, McVay noted the wideout has an issue elsewhere.
“He’s got a little bit of soreness in that groin, being smart with him as a skill player,” McVay said Saturday, via Gary Klein of the L.A. Times. “Whether or not he plays is to be determined, and so we’ll see how he’s feeling.”
While Nacua dealt with a psoas injury during the preseason, McVay said this is “a different thing.”
Nacua was able to practice on Thursday and, according to McVay, “felt good but didn’t feel totally like himself, his ability to be able to kind of open up and really hit full speed.”
Nacua caught five passes for 74 yards in the Rams’ season-opening loss to the 49ers in Australia.
Also on the injury report, Jordan Whittington is doubtful for Monday night with a quad injury and safety Kam Kinchens is out with a hamstring injury.
The Rams added wide receiver Puka Nacua to the injury report on Friday.
Nacua missed practice with a hip injury. It is unclear whether it is related to the psoas soreness that forced him to leave the joint practice with the Cowboys early on Aug. 13. The psoas is a deep core muscle and a primary hip flexor.
Nacua was not listed on the injury report for Week 1.
Nacua’s backup, Jordan Whittington, also missed Friday’s practice. Whittington has a quad injury.
Safety Kamren Kinchens (hamstring) was the other player who didn’t practice.
Safety Kam Curl (ankle), inside linebacker Omar Speights (hip) and inside linebacker Nate Landman (shoulder) were limited.
Wide receiver Davante Adams returned to practice Friday after a rest day on Thursday.
Aaron Donald is ready to return.
Donald, the Rams defensive tackle who hasn’t played since announcing his retirement after the 2023 season, said today that he expects to play against the Giants on Monday Night Football.
“That’s the plan,” Donald said when asked if he is playing.
Donald, who did not make the trip to Australia for the Rams’ Week 1 loss to the 49ers, said he has been feeling like his old self while practicing this week.
“Have another practice tomorrow, and then we’ll see, but feeling good,” Donald said.
The 35-year-old Donald was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, 2018 and 2020. He retired after 10 seasons with the Rams but started considering a comeback after the Rams traded for the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett.
Donald and Garrett on the same defensive line would be a ferocious combination, but we’ll have to wait at least four more weeks to see that, as Garrett went on injured reserve after Week 1. Instead, the focus on Monday night will be on Donald, and seeing whether he still looks like the Aaron Donald of old.
