Puka Nacua (groin) questionable for MNF vs. Giants

The Cardinals’ pass rush derailed the Rams’ offensive game plan early on, and Nacua was held without a target until just under 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter. Heartbreak struck on the Rams’ sixth drive. Nacua shook his coverage defender on a hitch-and-go and had no one between him and the end zone. Matthew Stafford let it rip, but was hit during the throw. Nacua dove for what should have been a 65-yard touchdown, but the pass fell incomplete. Nacua had another close call late in the game, dragging a defender for half of his downfield route, on what was ultimately flagged for DPI, but the defender’s unscrupulous tactic prevented Nacua from hauling in a 45-yarder at the Cardinals’ 10-yard line. Fortunately, Nacua and Stafford linked up for 42- and 16-yard gains on their lone touchdown-scoring drive at the end of the game, salvaging Nacua’s box score. He’s an elite WR1 against the Raiders next week.

Nacua operated as the primary option through the air for a Rams team that attempted more than 50 passes for the third straight game. The veteran alpha was mostly confined to short-area work, something that could be attributed to the groin injury that continues to have his name on the injury report in practice, but that would not keep Nacua from returning another elite WR1 performance. Nacua was also inches away from padding his stat line further after failing to come down with what would have been a 51-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the first half. Nacua and the Rams fall to 2-3 ahead of a Week 6 divisional showdown against the Cardinals, where he will remain one of the top fantasy assets in the league.

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.