The Rams’ Week 4 injury report gives them one clear loss, one major return, and one uncomfortable comparison: Philadelphia is dealing with its own absences, too.
Aaron Donald will sit out Sunday’s game in Philadelphia because of back soreness, leaving the Rams without their defensive lineman after he has already missed two games this season. That is the most consequential item on the report, and it comes in a matchup where Los Angeles cannot simply point to attrition and expect sympathy.
At the same time, Puka Nacua is expected to suit up after missing Weeks 2 and 3 with a hip/groin injury suffered in Week 1. He was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday because of the hip issue, but the Rams’ final report still points toward him being active. For a team that has spent the last two weeks without one of its most productive pass catchers, that is the kind of update that changes how the offense can be built.
Nacua’s return also comes with a recent track record against Philadelphia that is hard to ignore. He caught 11 of 15 passes for 112 yards against the Eagles last season, and in 2023 he went 7-for-11 for 71 yards and a touchdown in the matchup. The Rams have been cautious with him since the Week 1 injury, and there were even reports that he might have been able to go in Week 3. Instead, they held him out until he was ready.
That patience now gives Los Angeles a healthier-looking offensive picture than it had earlier in the week. The Rams’ final injury report was described as cleaner than expected, and even neutral at worst, slightly in their favor. Safety Kamren Kinchens, who had been out since Week 1 with a hamstring injury, carries no designation after being a full participant in Friday’s practice. That is a useful development for a defense that will already be asked to absorb Donald’s absence.
The Rams still have other names to manage. Cornerback Jaylen Watson is out with a shoulder injury, and tight end Terrance Ferguson is dealing with an ankle issue. Colby Parkinson is questionable with knee and shoulder injuries. But the broader picture is not one of a team overwhelmed by injuries so much as one that has to sort through them while facing an opponent with its own missing pieces.
Philadelphia is not arriving at full strength either. DeVonta Smith is out for Week 4, and the Eagles have won their two games against teams with a combined record of 1-5. That does not erase the challenge of playing in Philadelphia, but it does remove the easy excuse that the Rams are walking into a game against a healthy, untouchable opponent.
That is why this matchup feels less like a simple availability report and more like a test of what the Rams do with the players they do have. Donald’s absence is real. So is Nacua’s return. So is the fact that the Eagles are also missing key contributors. The Rams’ task is not to explain the injury list. It is to show whether the rest of the roster can carry enough of the load to make it matter.