Puka Nacua Doubtful For Rams-Broncos Sunday Night

By JR·2 min read

TLDR: Sean McVay says Puka Nacua is doubtful for Sunday night in Denver after the Rams WR missed every practice this week with a hip/groin issue, so he will likely miss a 2nd straight game.

Updated 4d ago
Davante Adams Torches Rams In Big Night For Giants

The good news came in the same breath as the doubtful tag. Barring a setback, McVay expects Nacua back next week against the Eagles. So the Rams are trading one road game in prime time for having him healthy in a much bigger matchup with Philadelphia.
Adam Schefter
@AdamSchefter
Sean McVay believes that, barring a setback, Puka Nacua could return next week vs. the Eagles.
Sarah Barshop@sarahbarshop
Puka Nacua will not practice and will be listed as doubtful for the game against the Broncos.
In the meantime the offense belongs to Davante Adams, and he just showed he can carry it. With Nacua out last week, Adams went for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 28-6 win over the Giants. That's WR1 production, and it's a big reason nobody in LA is panicking yet.
Ian Rapoport
@RapSheet
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: #Rams WR Puka Nacua is not expected to play Sunday, but Davante Adams has shown he can carry the load.
The difference this week is that Denver gets to plan for it. Last week the Giants saw Adams go off. This week the Broncos defense knows exactly who Matthew Stafford is looking for, and they can shade coverage toward Adams all night. If the Rams' other receivers can't make them pay, it's going to be a long night in Denver. Watch for the final inactives before kickoff, and then for Nacua back at practice next week before the Eagles come to town.
Here we go again. Puka Nacua didn't practice Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, and by the end of the week McVay was calling him doubtful for the Sunday Night Football trip to Denver. McVay put it plainly: doubtful means it is more unlikely than likely that he plays. Kickoff is 8:20 p.m. ET, and the Rams are about to play a 2nd straight week without their best receiver.
Ian Rapoport
@RapSheet
#Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters that WR Puka Nacua is doubtful for game against the #Broncos.
Even what to call the injury changed during the week. On Wednesday it was reported as a groin problem. By Thursday the team was calling it a hip. The official injury report split the difference and listed hip/groin soreness. Whatever the label, it's a soft tissue injury, and from the start McVay made it clear the Rams weren't going to rush it.
ProFootballTalk
@ProFootballTalk
Sean McVay: We'll err on the side of caution with Puka Nacua. t.co/Xo1SY8pfvE
McVay kept saying "caution" all week, and that's the part Rams fans should hang onto. He has said this isn't a long-term concern, and he said there's been no consideration of putting Nacua on injured reserve. That matters for a guy who missed 6 games in 2024. A hip/groin issue that costs 2 weeks is annoying. Letting it turn into a 2-month problem would be a lot worse.