Puka Nacua Injury Update, New Timeline to Return for Rams After Missing Week 2 vs. Giants

After missing the Los Angeles Rams' 28-6 win over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 2, star wide receiver Puka Nacua's status for Week 3 isn't yet clear.

According to ESPN's Sarah Barshop , Rams head coach Sean McVay said he's "hopeful" Nacua will be back but stopped short of providing a definitive expectation.

Nacua was inactive for Monday's win after being added to the Rams' injury report on Friday with a hip ailment.

Leading up to Monday's game, McVay told reporters Nacua was dealing with "a little bit of soreness" in his groin, and that he "didn't feel totally like himself" during Thursday's practice.

Nacua was nagged by a psoas (core muscle) injury during training camp, but McVay noted that the injury that caused his star wideout to miss Week 2 was unrelated.

The 25-year-old Nacua entered 2026 coming off the best season of his young NFL career.

He set career highs across the board in 2025 with 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns, resulting in Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors, and a third-place finish in the NFL Offensive Player of the Year voting.

In the Rams' 2026 season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Nacua was one of the team's few effective players on offense, finishing with five catches for 74 yards.

Without Nacua in the lineup on Monday, the offense funneled almost entirely through veteran wideout Davante Adams, who had eight receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns with reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford throwing him the ball.

If Nacua is unable to play again in Week 3, Adams should remain Stafford's top target with running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, and tight end Terrance Ferguson playing pivotal roles as well.