Puka Nacua inactive for Week 3 vs. Broncos

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.

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.

Nacua will not practice today, either. The bad news comes straight from Rams coach Sean McVay. With Nacua sidelined, WR Davante Adams must be treated as a fantasy football WR1 and TE Terrance Ferguson can be expected to operate as the team’s No. 2 pass catcher. He is a worthwhile TE1 starter.

Nacua seems unlikely to play in Week 3 against the Broncos. Rams coach Sean McVay said earlier today that Nacua is “not making great progress,” and his practice participation level reflects that. Rams WR Davante Adams can be treated as a WR1 this week if Nacua is unable to play.

In a surprisingly candid interview with ESPN Los Angeles, McVay certainly did not sound optimistic that Nacua would play in Week 3. Nacua has already missed one practice this week and there’s been no indication that he will get back on the field over the next two days. Davante Adams racked up 195 yards and two scores with Nacua out in Week 2. It will be hard not to rank him as a WR1 once Nacua is ruled out. Terrance Ferguson operated as the team’s No. 2 receiver last week and will be in the TE1 mix without Nacua.

Sean McVay was unsure if Nacua would be able to play in Week 3 when asked about it on Tuesday. A DNP today suggests Nacua will need at least one more week of rest before returning to the lineup. Terrance Ferguson finished second on the Rams in targets last week with nine. He caught six passes for 54 yards and a score. No receiver outside of Davante Adams was targeted more than two times. Adams was utterly dominant, turning his 10 targets into 195 yards and two scores. Those are the only two major beneficiaries of Nacua’s likely absence.

McVay said he’s “hopeful” Nacua, who missed Monday night’s game against the Giants, will be able to suit up against Denver next week. The Rams offense was fine without Nacua on Monday against an injury-ravaged Giants team. LA had the week’s fourth highest EPA per play on the way to a 28-6 win. Another game with Nacua sidelined will mean more target domination for Davante Adams and more involvement for Terrance Ferguson, who caught 6-of-9 targets for 54 yards and a touchdown against New York.

News about a new injury for Nacua didn’t surface until Friday, throwing fantasy managers into a late-week scramble to find a suitable replacement, further convoluted by him entering the weekend as a game-time decision. Those that held out in hopes he would be able to play against the Giants now find themselves with limited options. Nacua reportedly went through an abridged pre-game workout to determine his availability, ultimately failing to prove healthy enough to go. The Rams suddenly find themselves extremely thin at wide receiver with Jordan Whittington also inactive. Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield, and Xavier Smith will fight for snaps behind Davante Adams, while there remains the ever-present possibility the Rams lean into heavy personnel alignments. Joining Nacua and Whittington as inactives are S Kam Kinchens, WR CJ Daniels, QB Ty Simpson, and OL Bill Murray.

The Rams will announce their inactives 90 minutes before kickoff, but this is now the second time in two days that Schefter has suggested Nacua will not suit up tonight. Schefter said the team is “not giving up hope” that Nacua could still suit up, but also added, “it doesn’t sound promising right now.” If Nacua is unable to go in Week 2, Davante Adams would be an obvious favorite to see an increase in targets, while running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum could also get more involved as the Rams look for ways to move the ball against a Giants team that gave the Cowboys’ offense fits in Week 1.

Schefter said on Sunday NFL Countdown that Nacua is more likely to be sidelined on Monday against the Giants than he is to suit up and play through his groin injury. It would be a massive blow to the Rams offense, which would likely be more run-heavy if Nacua is out against the Giants. That could mean a big workload for Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Terrance Ferguson, who ran a route on just 41 percent of the Rams’ drop backs in Week 1, could see a slightly bigger role if Nacua is sidelined.