The Los Angeles Rams don’t have Puka Nacua back in team drills, but Monday brought a promising signal that their All-Pro receiver is moving closer to a return.
Nacua remained out of practice on Aug. 24 because of the psoas soreness that has sidelined him since the Rams’ Aug. 11 joint session with the Dallas Cowboys.
However, The Athletic’s Nate Atkins reported that Nacua was on the field doing side workouts during practice.
Puka is out here doing some of the side workouts Myles has done recently.
That’s a notable change from a week earlier when head coach Sean McVay updated Nacua’s status on Aug. 17. McVay noted the receiver was still dealing with soreness and hadn’t reached the point of working on the field during the practice session.
The Rams have continued to frame the injury as something they are managing cautiously.
With the regular-season opener still more than two weeks away, Monday’s activity gives Los Angeles is definitely a positive development.
Nacua Takes Visible Step in Recovery
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Puka Nacua #12 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on during the Los Angeles Rams Training Camp at Loyola Marymount University on July 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Nacua’s absence has lasted longer than the Rams initially expected.
After Nacua left the Aug. 11 Cowboys practice early, McVay said two days later that Los Angeles was “being smart with him” and expected the receiver to return the following week “ready to go.”
But Nacua didn’t return to practice the following week, including the Rams’ Aug. 20 joint session with the New Orleans Saints. McVay said Aug. 17 that Nacua was “doing good” but still had soreness, adding that the team was taking his recovery day by day.
Monday’s side work now hints at measurable progress, even though Nacua has to clear another important hurdle by returning to individual and team drills.
Getting back onto the field for conditioning work at least moves his recovery forward.
Los Angeles shouldn’t push him through late-August practices obviously, given his standing as an elite NFL receiver who is coming off the best season of his career and has solidified himself as one of the remarkable pieces of McVay’s offense.
The 25-year-old led the NFL with 129 receptions in 2025 and finished with 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He earned first-team All-Pro honors for the first time.
His connection with Matthew Stafford is already customary, so they just need the BYU product healthy enough to regain football conditioning before Week 1.
Rams Have Time, but Week 1 Clock Is Moving
That makes the next stage of Nacua’s recovery more important than the practice he missed Monday.
McVay acknowledged Aug. 17 that Los Angeles eventually needs its injured stars practicing so they can prepare for the demands of a full season. He also stressed that the goal is a “return to performance,” rather than simply clearing a player to participate.
Nacua’s situation is following that direction.
The Rams have one preseason game remaining, an Aug. 27 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. McVay has traditionally been conservative with starters in exhibition games, leaving no grounds to rush Nacua back for Thursday.
The bigger date is Sept. 10.
Los Angeles opens the regular season against the San Francisco 49ers at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, the NFL’s first regular-season game in the country.
The Rams have continued to describe Nacua’s issue in terms of soreness and caution, but an initial return target has passed.
Now that Nacua is back on the field doing work, the next key development will be seeing Los Angeles’ top receiver back alongside Stafford and the rest of the offense.
LA Rams Get Positive Puka Nacua Sign as Week 1 Nears