Sean McVay told reporters Thursday that Puka Nacua is "not making great progress" in his recovery from a groin injury, effectively ruling out the second-year receiver for Sunday night's game against Denver. The Rams already held Nacua out of Week 2. This is now three weeks of the 17-game season without their leading target from 2023, when he posted 105 receptions for 1,486 yards as a fifth-round pick.
McVay's phrasing — deliberate, clinical — signals internal concern about soft-tissue timelines. Groin injuries in wide receivers are binary: they either resolve in ten days or they linger for six weeks, disrupting route trees and limiting separation at the top of stems. The Rams are preparing for the latter. Nacua did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. McVay would not commit to a Week 4 return.
The operational fallout is immediate. Cooper Kupp, who missed most of 2023 with an ankle issue, is now absorbing 30+ percent target share in an offense that relied on Nacua's physicality to set up play-action and outside-zone runs. The Rams signed Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson in free agency as depth pieces, not as starters opposite Kupp. Robinson has 11 catches through two games; Johnson has 3. Neither commands safety rotation the way Nacua did last season, which means defenses can cheat toward Kupp and tighten gaps against the run.
This matters for LA's front office on two levels. First, the Rams are $6.3M over the projected 2025 salary cap, per Over The Cap, with Kupp and Matthew Stafford both on expensive deals. If Nacua misses significant time and the offense stalls, LA's leverage in potential Kupp trade discussions — already floated by league insiders in August — shifts. Kupp is 30 years old with a $29.8M cap hit in 2025. The Rams need Nacua healthy to justify keeping Kupp through the season.
Second, McVay's public honesty about Nacua's timeline is unusual for a coach who typically deflects injury questions. That candor suggests the team is managing external expectations — sponsor obligations, broadcast windows, ticket revenue for a franchise still rebuilding its LA fanbase after the Super Bowl win. The Rams host the Bears in Week 4, then travel to Green Bay in Week 5. Both games are winnable with Nacua. Without him, LA is staring at a 1-4 start before their bye.
Nacua's absence also complicates the Rams' offensive coordinator search for 2025. Current OC Mike LaFleur is in his second season, but league sources say McVay has fielded calls from agents representing rising coordinator candidates. If the offense underperforms this season, McVay's ability to attract top talent hinges on whether Nacua proves durable. No coordinator takes a job built around a receiver who misses 20+ percent of games.
Watch for Nacua's practice participation next Wednesday. If he remains sidelined, the Rams will likely place him on injured reserve retroactive to Week 2, which would keep him out through Week 6. That decision would come before LA's October 15th trade deadline positioning window opens. Also watch Robinson's snap count Sunday night; if it exceeds 70 percent, the Rams are preparing for a multi-week Nacua absence, not a one-game precaution.
The Broncos game kicks at 8:20pm ET on NBC. If Kupp draws double coverage on the opening drive and Stafford checks down three times, you have your answer about how the Rams are planning the next month.
The takeaway
Nacua's prolonged groin issue threatens Rams' offensive balance and complicates front-office decisions on Kupp's future and coordinator stability.
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