Rams Remain Unsure About Puka Nacua’s Availability for Week 3 vs. Broncos

Rams head coach Sean McVay remains unsure whether Puka Nacua will be available for Week 3 against the Denver Broncos.

Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) during the 2026 NFL Melbourne Game against the San Francisco 49ers at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Late last week, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was a surprise addition to the injury report. According to the team, Nacua aggravated his hip during practice, forcing him to miss Friday and Saturday’s practices. While the Rams pushed Nacua’s status as much as they could, he ended up being inactive for the team’s win on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants. 

Head coach Sean McVay spoke to the media on Tuesday morning and provided an update on Nacua. However, McVay remained uncertain on Nacua’s status for the team’s Week 3 matchup against the Denver Broncos. 

“I'm not sure what his status is as far as this next coming week,” said McVay. “I'm hopeful that he'll play. I don't know how his pregame warmup went. I know that was a big part of even maybe making him active if he felt good enough with the pregame warmup. But that obviously wasn't the case so if he's ready to go, great. If not, then we'll continue to roll.”

The Rams were able to get by without Nacua against the Giants. Davante Adams had a vintage performance with eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson also got involved in Nacua’s absence with six receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. 

However, the Rams would certainly prefer to have Nacua back in the lineup against a much better Broncos secondary. Led by Patrick Surtain, the Broncos have a top-10 pass defense through two weeks, allowing an EPA per pass of -0.18. Trevor Lawrence was held to 17 completions for 189 yards and one interception on Sunday against the Broncos’ secondary. 

Without Nacua in the lineup, quarterback Matthew Stafford completed passes to nine different receivers. Still, outside of Adams, Rams wide receivers had just two catches for 31 yards and didn’t have a reception until the third quarter. Against a much better Broncos defense and secondary, the Rams won’t want to be limited in any way. 

Toward the end of training camp, Nacua had been managing a psoas injury in his groin. However, McVay noted last week that this was different from that injury. Nacua is in a contract year, and outside of his rookie season, he has missed at least one game due to injury in each of the last three years.

Monday night provided some reassurance that the Rams can function without Nacua available. However, the Broncos provide a much more difficult matchup, making Nacua’s availability significantly more important in Week 3. For now, the Rams will hope the extra time allows Nacua to get healthy, and his status will be something to monitor on the injury report throughout the week.