Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua suited up and contributed in Sunday’s Week 7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders despite entering the afternoon as questionable with a calf injury.

The issue surfaced during Thursday’s practice, forcing him to leave the session early, and he sat out Friday’s work entirely.

An MRI on the area did not uncover anything significant, clearing the way for him to take the field at Allegiant Stadium.

Nacua described the moment the problem appeared.

“Just trying to run, and deceleration after, guys, it kind of tapped off on the play. I just planted, and just felt something in my lower calf,” he told reporters after the game. He added that the discomfort was localized.

“There is something, and I’m not sure the exact muscle, but in the lower calf,” Nacua said.

The uncertainty over the precise source of the pain did not prevent him from preparing mentally for the contest.

“I try to mentally prepare and say that I’m full focus and being able to play in the game and kind of letting some of those worries and fears go,” Nacua explained when addressing concerns about reinjury.

That mindset mattered because the calf was only the latest physical setback in a season already marked by missed time.

A groin issue had kept him out of two earlier games, and he had also managed a hip problem that lingered from training camp into the preseason.

On Sunday he made a point of managing those accumulated concerns on the sideline, noting his effort to “definitely try to stay warm on the sidelines.”

His approach to the week boiled down to practical steps aimed at availability. “Just trying to figure out how I can best feel out there on Sunday and doing everything I can,” he said.

The preparation paid off. Nacua finished with eight receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown as the Rams pulled away for a 35-21 win that improved their record to 3-4 and ended a two-game skid.

The performance arrived with Davante Adams still sidelined by a hamstring rupture expected to cost him six to ten weeks, placing even more weight on Nacua’s presence.

While the calf did not sideline him, the combination of recent injuries and his physical style of play leaves the Rams monitoring his workload carefully in the coming weeks before the bye.

Nacua has already shown he can produce at less than full strength, yet the team’s longer-term goals will require him to stay on the field as the schedule continues.