Puka Nacua missed his 2nd straight game. When might he return?

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua missed his second straight game Sunday night, as the Rams fell to the Denver Broncos 30-26 after taking a 16-0 lead into halftime at Empower Field in Denver.

Nacua was listed by Los Angeles among its inactive players with a hip injury and hasn’t played since the Rams’ Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, a Thursday night contest played in Australia on Sept. 10.

In its recap of each week’s action, the NFL.com team of writers identified Nacua’s absence as one of the primary takeaways from the contest.

“A week after Davante Adams turned back the clock and scorched the Giants for 195 yards and a pair of touchdowns, he was stellar again. He racked up game-highs of 137 yards and seven receptions — his 332 yards over the last two weeks are the highest two-game total in his career,” the NFL.com team wrote, as the veteran Adams led the Rams’ receiving group in the loss.

“But the absence of Puka Nacua, one of the game’s best receivers, was surely felt. By game’s end, (Matthew) Stafford had 390 yards on 30-of-55 passing, but when the Rams offense lulled, it was apparent how beneficial having a second elite WR option would be. Konata Mumpfield had the game of his short career with four grabs for 93 yards and a 48-yard TD catch. But three of those catches and 78 yards came in the final stanza.”

While the Rams went into the season with the best odds to win the Super Bowl — thanks in part to having game-changers like Nacua and edge rusher Myles Garrett, who’s missing extensive time due to a knee injury that required surgery — Los Angeles sits at 1-2 three weeks into the season following Sunday’s loss.

Nacua was seen running during pre-game warmups in Denver before ultimately being inactive for the game.

Puka Nacua pregame in Denver. pic.twitter.com/vlSydqpseo

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) September 27, 2026

Earlier Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Nacua could return to the lineup possibly as early as Week 4, when the Rams play at the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday, while also mentioning that surgery is “not entirely off the table” if the situation doesn’t improve.

Schefter said that Nacua is dealing with a groin injury that has “impacted his explosiveness.”

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is doubtful for Sunday night’s game at Denver but could return as soon as next week against the Eagles, has been dealing with mainly a groin injury that has impacted his explosiveness, per league sources. Functinally, Nacua can play, but he has… pic.twitter.com/odi11NFcic

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 27, 2026

“Functi(o)nally, Nacua can play, but he has not felt like he can play with the same explosiveness he has had in the past. The Rams still view it as a short-term injury and think he’ll be back sooner rather than later,” Schefter wrote.

“The organization does not believe surgery in this situation will be needed, but it’s also not entirely off the table if Nacua doesn’t show signs of improvement. Still, nobody is thinking that will be the direction this situation goes, and Nacua could be back next week.”

The 25-year-old Nacua, a fifth-round draft pick in 2023 who starred at both BYU and Orem High, has developed into one of the league’s top wide receivers and is coming off his best season as a pro. In 2025, he caught 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns.

During the Rams’ Week 1 loss, Nacua had five receptions for 74 yards.

Last Wednesday ahead of Los Angeles’ game with the Broncos, Rams coach Sean McVay told ESPN Los Angeles that he was “not making great progress” in his recovery. He later added that the team is being cautious and doesn’t view Nacua’s injury as a long-term issue.

“When you’re a skill player and you’re really trying to hit high-speed yards and really open up and you feel just … it’s like some of the things that can almost be like pre-hernia is kind of what he’s feeling,” McVay said, according to ESPN. “And so you err on the side of caution. Usually time is the best thing that allows that thing to heal. And then once you get to a certain point, then I think you feel pretty good moving forward.”

In Nacua’s absence, the bulk of the pass-catching production from the wide receiver group has come from Adams, with the team’s tight ends and running backs also taking on increased roles.

Without Nacua, though, the passing game is clearly impacted — and Los Angeles is working with a sub-.500 record heading into the month of October.

“Stafford did his best, and succeeded at times, getting (running back) Kyren Williams and his bevy of tight ends into the mix, before desperation led to Mumpfield’s contributions,” the NFL.com staff wrote.

“Rounding out the WR stable and getting Nacua healthy is of the utmost importance for Sean McVay’s squad, which is suddenly 1-2.”