Puka Nacua Expected Back at Rams Practice Next Week After Muscle Soreness
Los Angeles Rams All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua is expected to return to practice next week after missing Thursday’s workout because of muscle soreness, head coach Sean McVay said.
Nacua experienced the issue during the Rams’ joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday and left the session early. He subsequently worked out on the side Thursday as Los Angeles completed its final practice before traveling to Kansas City for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Chiefs.
McVay said the soreness was in Nacua’s psoas, a muscle that connects the lower back and pelvis and plays an important role in movement.
“Puka is doing good,” McVay said. “We’re just being smart with him. Expect him to be back next week, ready to go.”
The update should ease concerns surrounding one of the most important players on the Rams’ offense. Nacua has been a full participant through much of training camp and preseason preparations, but the Rams have no reason to take unnecessary risks with their star receiver in an exhibition game.
Nacua would not have been expected to play against Kansas City regardless of his injury status. McVay has traditionally been cautious with his most important players during preseason games, prioritizing their health ahead of the regular season.
The 24-year-old receiver is entering his fourth NFL season and the final year of his rookie contract. His importance to the Rams has continued to grow since he entered the league.
Nacua produced a remarkable 2025 campaign, leading the NFL with 129 receptions and finishing second with 1,715 receiving yards. His production helped cement his status as one of the league’s premier young offensive weapons.
The Rams will therefore have plenty of motivation to ensure that Thursday’s soreness does not develop into a more serious problem. His expected return to practice next week suggests the team believes the issue is manageable.
Nacua was not the only notable Rams player held out of Thursday’s session. Defensive end Myles Garrett also sat out as he managed knee swelling that has occurred at times over the past month.
Like Nacua, Garrett is also expected to return to practice next week.
For Los Angeles, the priority is clear: preserve its key players while preparing for the regular season. The preseason provides an opportunity for younger players and roster hopefuls to compete for opportunities, while established stars such as Nacua can benefit more from controlled practice work than unnecessary exhibition-game action.
The Rams will now turn their attention toward their preseason meeting with Kansas City. Although Nacua is not expected to feature, his anticipated return next week provides a positive development for Los Angeles as the regular season approaches.
With his production, chemistry within the offense and importance to the Rams’ passing attack, keeping Nacua healthy will be one of the team’s biggest priorities heading into the 2026 season.
Analysis: Why the Rams Are Right to Take No Chances With Puka Nacua
Puka Nacua’s latest injury update may not sound particularly alarming, but for the Los Angeles Rams, it is the kind of situation that demands careful management.
Nacua missed Thursday’s practice after experiencing soreness in his psoas during the Rams’ joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys. Head coach Sean McVay subsequently provided an encouraging update, saying the wide receiver was doing well and was expected to return to practice the following week.
The immediate message from Los Angeles is therefore one of caution rather than panic. Nacua is not expected to play in the Rams’ preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, but that decision is less significant than what happens over the next several days.
The Rams have every reason to protect their star receiver.
Nacua has become too important to risk
The biggest reason for Los Angeles to be cautious is simple: Nacua is no longer an emerging player whose role can easily be replaced.
He enters the 2026 season as one of the NFL’s most productive receivers. In 2025, Nacua caught 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led the league in receptions and finished second in receiving yards.
Those numbers explain why even relatively minor soreness receives significant attention.
Nacua’s 2025 season was also recognized at the highest level. He was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press and finished third in the AP Offensive Player of the Year voting.
That places enormous value on his availability.
The Rams do not need Nacua to prove himself during a preseason game. They already know what he can do against NFL defenses. The priority now should be making sure he is healthy when meaningful games begin.
McVay’s approach makes sense
Sean McVay’s decision to avoid rushing Nacua back is arguably the most sensible part of this situation.
Preseason games are useful for evaluating younger players, developing roster depth and giving quarterbacks and offensive units opportunities to build rhythm. But there is a significant difference between exposing a developing player to preseason contact and risking an established All-Pro.
Nacua falls firmly into the second category.
McVay has historically been careful with his most important players during preseason action. That philosophy becomes even more understandable when the player is dealing with muscle soreness.
The goal is not to win a preseason game at all costs. The goal is to arrive at the regular season with the roster as healthy as possible.
McVay’s statement that the team is “being smart with him” reflects that philosophy.
The location of the soreness matters
The psoas is a muscle involved in movement between the lower back, pelvis and legs. For a wide receiver who constantly accelerates, changes direction and explodes out of breaks, maintaining full functional movement is particularly important.
That does not mean Nacua’s soreness should automatically be viewed as a major injury. The available information does not indicate that the Rams believe it is serious.
In fact, the expected return timeline is encouraging.
But the situation illustrates an important reality of NFL preparation: small physical problems can become larger ones if players return before they are ready.
A receiver can be physically capable of participating while still being better served by additional recovery time. The Rams appear to be choosing the safer option.
His contract situation adds another layer
Nacua is entering the final year of his rookie contract, making his health particularly important beyond just the upcoming season.
He has already demonstrated that he belongs among the league’s elite receivers. His production has given him considerable leverage as the Rams consider his long-term future.
That makes every training-camp development more interesting.
Los Angeles has invested heavily in building a competitive roster, and Nacua is a central part of that project. The team needs him not only for 2026 but potentially for several seasons beyond it.
There is therefore little incentive to push him unnecessarily in August.
The Rams have bigger ambitions
Los Angeles is not approaching the 2026 campaign simply hoping to be competitive.
The addition of Myles Garrett has raised expectations around the team, while the continued presence of veterans such as Matthew Stafford gives the Rams an experienced core.
That makes health management increasingly important.
Nacua is arguably the centerpiece of the receiving corps. If the Rams are serious about competing deep into the postseason, they need their most important offensive weapons available when the games matter most.
His absence from a preseason game is therefore a relatively small price to pay.
What fans should watch next
The most important development will not be whether Nacua plays against Kansas City. It will be how he responds when he returns to practice.
If he returns next week and participates normally, the current soreness will likely become little more than a preseason footnote.
If the timeline changes, however, concern would naturally increase.
For now, there is no reason to assume the worst. McVay has publicly expressed confidence that Nacua will be back, and multiple reports have characterized the issue as soreness rather than a significant injury.
The Rams should nevertheless continue to monitor him carefully.
Myles Garrett’s situation reinforces the strategy
Nacua is not the only major Rams player currently being managed carefully.
Myles Garrett also missed Thursday’s practice while dealing with knee swelling. He, too, is expected back at practice next week.
That suggests the Rams are taking a broader approach to preseason health rather than reacting to one isolated player.
The message is clear: established stars do not need to prove their value in August.
That could be especially important for a team with postseason ambitions.
The bigger picture
Nacua’s latest setback should ultimately be viewed through the lens of preparation rather than crisis.
The Rams are not losing a crucial regular-season game. They are not being forced to restructure their offense. They are giving one of their most valuable players additional time to recover from muscle soreness.
That is good roster management.
Nacua’s 2025 production demonstrated just how important he has become. His 129 receptions and 1,715 receiving yards established him as one of the NFL’s premier offensive weapons, while his first-team All-Pro recognition confirmed that his breakout has developed into genuine elite-level production.
Consequently, the Rams should resist any temptation to accelerate his return simply because the preseason is underway.
The real test will come when the regular season begins.
If Nacua returns next week as McVay expects, stays healthy through the remainder of training camp and carries his 2025 form into meaningful games, Thursday’s absence will barely matter.
For now, the Rams appear to have made the correct decision: protect the star, avoid unnecessary risk and focus on having Puka Nacua ready when the games actually count.
Sources: Sky Sports, Associated Press, ESPN, Los Angeles Rams, Reuters.
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