The Los Angeles Rams appear to have avoided a major scare with Puka Nacua.
The star wide receiver missed Thursday’s practice after leaving Tuesday’s joint session with the Dallas Cowboys early, but Sean McVay offered an encouraging update on his condition.
Nacua is dealing with soreness in his psoas, a deep core muscle that helps with hip movement and stability. McVay said he expects Nacua to be “ready to go” when the Rams return to practice next week ahead of their second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 22.
For now, Nacua can be considered day-to-day.
The specific muscle involved makes caution understandable. The psoas runs from the lower back through the pelvis and attaches near the top of the femur, helping flex the hip and stabilize the lower body. Those functions are especially important for a receiver accelerating, cutting and maintaining balance through contact.
Nacua has dealt with injuries before, including a PCL sprain that landed him on injured reserve early in the 2024 season.
The encouraging part of McVay’s update is the timeline. Los Angeles is discussing Nacua’s return in terms of days rather than weeks.
Whether he participates in the Rams joint practice against New Orleans remains to be seen, but the bigger priority is the September opener in Melbourne against the 49ers. For now, the Rams appear to have received about as positive an update as they could have hoped for after Tuesday’s scare.