Schefter: Nacua could face suspension

Nacua’s rushing score came on a second quarter end-around. Out there for the first time since Week 1, Nacua did what he always seems to do when active and post a dominant statline. We say “active” rather than “healthy,” as FOX’s Erin Andrews confirmed during the broadcast Nacua is dealing with some sort of sports-hernia situation. That could make him something of a week-to-week proposition but hopefully the superstar wideout has found some way to manage the pain for the rest of the season. He has a Week 5 smash spot in the Bills’ shootout-prone defense. He will also have an extra day to get healthy with the game taking place on Monday Night Football.

Andrews broke the news while reporting from the sideline of the Rams’ Week 4 game against the Eagles. Signs have been pointing to this type of injury for a while now, with the Rams referring to Nacua’s nagging injury as both a hip and groin issue. Just over two minutes remain in the third quarter, and Nacua has only come off the field for a few plays thus far. It appears as though the team has handled the injury well, though one imagines re-injury risk is still a factor. That said, he is a WR1 whenever he is active.

Looks like we’ve got ourselves an old-fashioned source-off here. Schefter says Nacua won’t be limited, while The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero said over the weekend that Nacua may be on “a stricter snap count than usual.” Even if his snaps are cut back, Nacua is one of the best per-route receivers in the NFL. He will get by for fantasy managers in whatever role the Rams give him. He is, at worst, a low-end WR1 for Week 4.

Rams HC Sean McVay said Nacua, who has been dealing with a groin injury, is good to go after getting a full practice in on Friday. The coach also noted that they’re still working through Nacua’s snap count and now Pelissero reports that it could be stricter than usual. Fantasy managers should still treat Nacua as a high-end WR1 even in a difficult matchup against the Eagles in Week 4.

Nacua will return after getting in a Friday full practice and should be a WR1 play, even against the Eagles’ vaunted secondary. McVay noted that they are still working through how they will navigate his snap count, so Davante Adams should remain near the WR1 line this week as they reintegrate Nacua. But nobody is sitting Puka Nacua in a standard league.

Scheelhaase also said that Nacua “twisted” to catch a pass thrown behind him yesterday, which the offensive coordinator took as a good sign. Nacua is on track to face the Eagles in Week 4. As long as he gets through the practice week without suffering a setback, Nacua is an elite WR1 this week.

McVay also said that Nacua will be limited at today’s practice. Nacua has not played since injuring his groin in Week 1 against the 49ers. If active in Week 4, he will be a no-brainer WR1, though it would be great to see him log two full practice sessions over the next two days. The Rams’ pass-catching corps has dealt with an influx of injuries in recent weeks. Getting their star player back would be huge.

We continue to get very little concrete news from McVay and the Rams regarding the injury, expected status, or recovery timeline for star wide receiver Puka Nacua. The most conclusive information given the previous two weeks is that the groin injury Nacua is dealing with is not related to the psoas injury he dealt with this offseason, although some have speculated that the verbiage used to describe the injury sounded like a sports hernia. Even that is pure speculation. Fantasy managers are left waiting in the holding pattern for more concrete news from their first-round fantasy selection. Davante Adams would clearly be in line to benefit from another absence after setting a career-high in receiving yards in consecutive games the previous two weeks.

Nacua came into the weekend listed as doubtful but was seen working out before the game to see if he would be able to go. He’ll ultimately be held out for the second consecutive game as the Rams look to improve to 2-1. Davante Adams vaults into the top-tier WR1 range in Nacua’s absence. Also inactive for the Rams are DB Kam Kinchens, WR CJ Daniels, WR Tutu Atwell, QB Ty Simpson, S Maximus Pulley, and OL Bill Murray

Schefter noted that the team doesn’t believe he will need surgery, but it could be an option if things don’t improve. The team is listing it as a hip injury, but the main issue has been a groin injury which would presumably require core muscle surgery. That would sideline him for multiple months. Schefter added that Nacua could return as soon as Week 4 if he does improve. Nacua did not practice once this week before being listed as doubtful versus Denver. Nacua’s short and long-term status hangs in the balance right now. It sounds like we’ll know pretty soon whether this is a lost season or not.