Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua offered his first public comments on a lingering lower-body injury Sunday after sitting out a 30-26 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.
The All-Pro receiver has now missed two straight games. The team lists the problem as a hip injury on official reports.
Nacua spoke with ESPN sideline reporter Melissa Stark before kickoff and described the issue differently than the public listing.
“I spoke to Puka Nacua before the game. And although he’s listed on the injury report with a hip, he told me it’s more of a groin issue than a hip injury,” Stark said. “He worked out pregame. He said he felt good about the workout, because he was able to accelerate comfortably.”
Nacua also discussed when he might return to the lineup.
“I asked him about a timetable for his return. He said he doesn’t have one. He’s putting his trust in the Rams’ athletic training staff, and he said he’s taking it day-by-day.”
The fourth-year receiver participated in a pregame workout and told Stark he was able to accelerate without the same discomfort that had limited him.
Los Angeles built a 16-0 lead in the first half behind a short touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Higbee and three field goals from Harrison Mevis. The Broncos scored 16 unanswered points in the third quarter to tie the game.
Matthew Stafford finished 30 of 55 for 390 yards and two touchdowns but threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter. Safety Talanoa Hufanga returned one 66 yards for a touchdown and sealed the win with an end-zone interception on the final play.
Davante Adams led the Rams with seven receptions for 137 yards. Konata Mumpfield added a 48-yard touchdown catch that briefly put Los Angeles back in front late.
Nacua led the NFL last season with 129 receptions. He also recorded 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games while adding 105 rushing yards and one score on the ground.
Coach Sean McVay has repeatedly said the injury is groin soreness and not a hernia. He has described it as similar to “pre-hernia” discomfort and stressed that the team is being cautious because of the demands of the receiver position.
McVay said Friday that if Nacua did not play Sunday, the expectation was a return next week against the Philadelphia Eagles unless there is a setback. The Rams have no plans to place him on injured reserve.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the organization does not believe surgery will be required but that it is not entirely off the table if Nacua fails to show improvement in explosiveness.
Defensive end Myles Garrett is also unavailable after arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this month. He was placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
The Rams are 1-2 after dropping the Sunday night contest. They host the Eagles next Sunday.
ESPN analyst Cris Collinsworth pointed to the potential boost both Nacua and Garrett could provide once they return.
“It’s very interesting to me that, with Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett not playing, you’re talking about a team that–at least this half and the last game–are playing really high-level of football,” Collinsworth said. “And they got, maybe, their two best players coming back here before too long, and that’s a little frightening.”
Nacua has 318 career receptions for 4,265 yards and 19 touchdowns in 45 games since entering the league as a fifth-round pick in 2023.
