McVay: Nacua still has soreness in groin

McVay was helpfully forthcoming with information today, telling reporters that Nacua’s absence is specifically due to soreness in his psoas muscle. Nacua does not seem to be at risk of missing any time in the regular season, and should return with more than enough time to ramp up for Week 1. He is deservedly a top-five pick in fantasy drafts.

This is mostly just for bookkeeping purposes, though it’s now been three days since Nacua was able to practice in full. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported Nacua is dealing with “minor soreness,” but “minor soreness” has a way of spiraling when teams aren’t required to actually be honest with their injury reports during training camp. The most important thing is, there has been zero indication Nacua’s Week 1 status is in doubt. We will let you know if that changes.

Nacua left practice with a trainer early on Tuesday. Head coach Sean McVay initially was unsure on what Nacua was dealing with, but Rapoport now reports the 25-year-old is managing groin soreness. The Rams are being cautious with a minor injury but no reason for fantasy managers to fret; Nacua may miss some preseason time but there is no indication he is in danger of missing any regular season games.

Same. We’ll monitor this, but there’s not any actionable advice to hand out until we get a more detailed report. A non-minor Nacua injury, of course, would be stratospheric news in the fantasy community.

Nacua has had a civil lawsuit filed against him for biting a woman and making an “unprovoked antisemtic sentiment.” The star receiver checked in to a luxury treatment center this past offseason. Schefter confirmed that the NFL is still discussing potential discipline for Nacua and Rams LT Alaric Jackson. This probably isn’t something to be overly concerned about in fantasy drafts — we suspect any suspension for Nacua would be short-term — but Schefter believes it’s possible that Nacua is suspended for the Rams opener against the 49ers.

According to Atkins, Nacua made some off-field changes this spring after spending time at a holistic care facility. Although the “best shape of his life” storylines are often overplayed, Nacua’s improved offseason workout and diet habits reportedly have him “gliding faster downfield than he has before.” Nacua will remain a “rugged” centerfield dominator as he contends for the overall WR1 finish in fantasy, but it sounds like the Rams may also be honing his downfield route running, entering his age-25 season. Being a more complete receiver is only a good thing for his fantasy-scoring outlook.

Rapoport said point blank, “Do not expect a Puka Nacua contract extension before the season. Do not.” Nacua is arguably the best receiver in the league, but off-field issues have become a serious concern, to the point that the Rams aren’t interested in signing him to a long-term deal at this moment. Nacua is set to hit free agency next offseason, but the Rams would simply place the franchise tag on him if they don’t have a deal in place before the new league year. The good news is that, according to Rapoport, Nacua is in a better place mentally than he has been in previous training camps. If Nacua can keep his head on straight and make it through the 2026 season without any more incidents, he will become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league next year.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, there was some speculation that Nacua would hold out for an extension this offseason. That said, Nacua was present with the team in April for their offseason program, never truly giving any credence to the rumors. The somewhat troubled offseason notwithstanding, Nacua sets up well to return first-round value in fantasy circles as the primary option through the air for the Rams in 2026.

The last we heard of Nacua, he was being checked into a “luxury treatment facility” in Malibu just days after he was alleged to have bitten a woman and made “unprovoked antisemitic remarks” to her. It’s been a tumultuous few months for the 24-year-old receiver who has taken the league by storm since joining the Rams as a fifth-round pick back in 2023. Now in the final year of his rookie contract, Nacua faces the possibility of having to play out the year without an extension, given his current situation. The fact that he’s back with the Rams for their offseason program is a sign that things are trending in the right direction for him. We’ll see where things go from here.

Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, told The California Post that the 24-year-old has checked into a rehab facility in Malibu. Nacua has popped up in the news cycle most recently for a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles alleging he bit a woman on New Year’s Eve and made an “unprovoked antisemitic sentiment.” McCathern said, “the combination of stories ya’ll have run is certainly a contributing factor” to Nacua’s entry into the treatment center. Rams head coach Sean McVay said Monday he’s hopeful Nacua can grow from his offseason incidents and hopes he is a Ram for a “really long time.” Nacua is eligible for a contract extension soon, though contract negotiations may be slower than they were for his draft classmate, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as he works through his treatment amid recent incidents.