Rams Rule Puka Nacua Out for Week 3 Sunday Night Game vs. Broncos

Puka Nacua will miss a second straight game with a groin injury, leaving Davante Adams and tight end Terrance Ferguson as the Rams' top targets against Denver.

The Los Angeles Rams will be without wide receiver Puka Nacua for their Week 3 game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football. The team confirmed the designation in its pregame inactive report, officially ruling out the All-Pro receiver because of a groin injury. It is the second consecutive game Nacua has missed.

Nacua, the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year, first sat out in Week 2, when the Rams hosted the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium. Los Angeles does not view the groin problem as a long-term issue, but the injury has been affecting his explosiveness. Mindful of not aggravating the condition, the team opted to hold him out another week.

There is a chance Nacua returns in Week 4, when the Rams are scheduled to face the Philadelphia Eagles. How the injury responds in the coming days will shape his availability for that game. For now, the Los Angeles offense moves forward without one of its top playmakers. His status will be a key storyline for the team in the week ahead.

Wide receiver Davante Adams, himself an All-Pro, becomes the centerpiece of the passing attack once again. With Nacua sidelined in Week 2, Adams caught eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants. He is expected to carry the receiving load in Week 3 as well.

Tight end Terrance Ferguson is positioned for an expanded role. The second-year player out of Oregon recorded six receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown in the Week 2 meeting with New York. Together, Adams and Ferguson give the Rams their two main options in the passing game against Denver.

Beyond Nacua, the Rams listed six other players as inactive. Ty Simpson, the emergency third quarterback, is included in that group. His designation allows him to enter the game only if the quarterbacks ahead of him are unable to continue. Safety Kamren Kinchens will be sidelined for another week because of his injury, while wide receiver C.J. Daniels Jr., wide receiver Tutu Atwell, safety Maximus Polley and offensive lineman Bill Murray are also inactive.

The absences of Nacua, Atwell and Daniels leave Los Angeles thin at wide receiver. Adams, Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith and Konata Mumpfield are the available options at the position against the Broncos. The tight ends, led by Ferguson, are expected to be featured prominently as a result of the injuries.

For those mapping out their Sunday viewing schedule, the Rams and Broncos close out Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season in the Sunday night window. The matchup shows how Los Angeles adapts on offense with its receiver group depleted. Once the game ends, the focus shifts to Week 4 and the question of whether Nacua can return against Philadelphia.