Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua left Tuesday's joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys early because of a minor injury.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua suffered an injury scare Tuesday.
Nacua left the joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys early due to minor groin soreness. The Rams are taking a cautious approach with the star’s ailment, but all signs point to Nacua’s imminent return.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford told reporters that he wasn’t concerned about Nacua leaving practice with a trainer because no one on the team panicked and informed him of the injury.
However, earlier Tuesday, it was reported that the 25-year-old could still face a suspension for his offseason behavior, which includes making antisemitic remarks and biting a woman. But the pending suspension is still being reviewed by the NFL.
It is possible Nacua will miss the Rams’ season opener in Australia against the San Francisco 49ers.
Nothing is confirmed yet; however, that will hang over the Rams' and Nacua’s heads until a decision is made on that front.
As for the injury front, Nacua has dealt with his fair share of injuries in his time in the NFL. He missed five games in 2024 with a right PCL knee sprain and has managed various ankle and rib issues. Still, he’s only missed seven out of a possible 51 games.
In the meantime, the Rams are expected to be one of the best teams in the league, largely due to Nacua.
The former fifth-round pick is set to enter the final year of his current four-year, $4.08 million deal. Nacua has grossly outperformed his current deal as he's established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the league.
In his rookie season, Nacua broke NFL rookie records for most receiving yards (1,486) and most receptions (105)in a single season during his historic 2023 campaign.
On top of that, Nacua set the NFL rookie playoff record for receiving yards with 181 in their Wild Card loss to the Detroit Lions.
Despite playing in only 11 games in 2024, Nacua was 10 yards shy of reaching another 1,000-yard season.
As for the 2025 season, it was one to behold for Nacua. In 16 games with 15 starts, the former BYU Cougar led the league in receptions (129), first downs (80), and yards per game (107.2).
Nacua earned a spot on the first-team All-Pro team, his second Pro Bowl nod, and finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting behind 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey and Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
