The Los Angeles Rams will take the field Monday night without wide receiver Puka Nacua, who has been ruled inactive for their Week 2 matchup with the New York Giants.
Nacua appeared on the injury report Friday with a hip designation after sitting out practice, then missed Saturday’s workout and was listed as questionable. Head coach Sean McVay said the issue was groin soreness and clarified that it was unrelated to the psoas injury that sidelined Nacua for part of the preseason.
The absence leaves the Rams short-handed as they try to avoid an 0-2 start after entering the season with Super Bowl expectations. Los Angeles opened with a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and Nacua was its most productive receiver despite an otherwise quiet offensive night.
The 25-year-old caught five passes for 74 yards in the opener, accounting for nearly half of Matthew Stafford’s 155 passing yards. His biggest play was a 41-yard completion before San Francisco pulled away.
Stafford, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, will also be without Jordan Whittington, who has been ruled out with a quad injury. Davante Adams is positioned to carry a heavier workload, while Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith, C.J. Daniels and Tutu Atwell could see expanded roles at wide receiver.
Los Angeles can also lean on tight ends Tyler Higbee and Terrance Ferguson, while running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum offer receiving options out of the backfield.
Rams navigating early injury concerns
Nacua’s inactive status adds to a difficult early stretch for the Rams. Star pass rusher Myles Garrett recently underwent knee surgery and was placed on injured reserve, meaning he must miss at least four games.
The Rams still have high-end talent across the roster, but McVay’s club will need to adjust quickly against a Giants team that enters the game at 1-0. Los Angeles, 0-1 after its opening defeat, visits New York for an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff on Monday Night Football.
