Sean McVay just dropped concerning news ahead of the Rams’ Week 3 game against the Broncos. After a solid 28-6 win against the Giants, the Rams will be hoping for the same success in their next game. However, their star wide receiver Puka Nacua’s injury concern is adding more pressure.
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“Had some soreness in that groin area and, you know, and you’re in the middle of your game plan and stuff like that,” Sean McVay said via Gary Klein of the L.A. Times. “And it’s a unique spot to be able to say, like, okay, we knew Jordan Whittington was going to miss.
Then you’re saying, all right, Puka might actually miss. So you have to redirect your whole kind of plans, and you almost have to operate where it’s like, all right, if he plays, it’s a bonus, but we can’t count on him playing, even though, you know, we were hopeful that there might be a chance.”
Nacua reportedly had a hip injury during training camp, but he recovered and played in Week 1 against the 49ers, catching five passes for 74 yards. However, he developed a groin problem during Friday’s practice. Although he finished practice, he was still feeling sore when he returned to the Rams’ facility on Saturday.
Because of that soreness, the Rams chose not to risk putting him on the field against the Giants. The team wanted to be careful with the injury rather than push Nacua too soon and possibly make the problem worse. However, his sister-in-law, Ivie Blake, had given fans a positive update about his availability.
The update had come through Instagram after a fan commented on a post featuring Nacua’s brother, Samson Nacua. The fan asked Ivie to find out if Samson knew whether Puka would play on Monday. In a screengrab shared by Dov Kleiman on X, Blake had replied, “yeah that man’s playing.”
When another person had asked, “Promise?”, she had responded with one word: “Promise.”
Though her words gave promise, Nacua eventually missed the game against the Giants. Injuries have made things worse for Nacua in his NFL career. In 2023, he had hip, knee, and oblique issues at different points. However, Nacua aggravated the same knee in Week 1 of the 2024 season against the Lions. He suffered a PCL sprain and was placed on injured reserve, forcing him to miss several games.
Nacua also dealt with an ankle injury in 2025 that caused him to miss Week 7. Later that season, he had a chest/rib issue as well. Overall, his injuries have kept him from reaching his full potential.
Losing Nacua is a big blow for the Rams because he had been one of their most important offensive players. He led the NFL in receptions in 2025 with 129 catches for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns, so his absence means the team is going to miss a major part of its passing attack.
With Nacua out, Davante Adams had to take on more responsibility as the main target, while Konata Mumpfield can be another backup.
But the Rams would rather have Puka Nacua back because the Broncos have a strong secondary. The Broncos limited Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence to 17 completions for 189 yards and one interception, showing how difficult their pass defense can be.
Now, with his return hanging on a thin thread, it will be interesting to see how the Rams perform against the Broncos on September 27.