The Los Angeles Rams kick off their 2026 season Thursday against NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers. The game will be played in Melbourne, Australia, marking the first time the NFL has played Down Under. One of the biggest question marks on the offensive side of the ball recently has been the status of star wide receiver Puka Nacua.
Nacua has been sidelined for the last few weeks after suffering a rare psoas injury during a Rams practice on Aug. 11. The psoas is a deep muscle connecting the lower spine to the hip that affects your ability to lift your leg and bend at the hip, so it's easy to see the difficulty that causes for a physical receiver like Nacua. But ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided some good news Sunday, indicating that Nacua should be ready to go for the season opener.
"You don't hear that very often," Fowler said of the psoas injury. "They held him out for a few weeks, taking it easy with him, but he's been back in stride this week, no setbacks." Rams head coach Sean McVay later confirmed that Nacua is expected to play Week 1 vs. the 49ers. More news: Michael Irvin Can’t Believe What This WR Just Got Paid Nacua is entering a crucial 2026 season.
As the engine of the offense and the team's most dynamic playmaker, there's always pressure on him to perform at an elite level — but this year, even more so. This will be his fourth season in the league, and despite establishing himself as one of football's best wideouts, he still hasn't landed a long-term extension. Meanwhile, several other receivers — arguably less talented than Nacua — got deals this past offseason, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Drake London, Zay Flowers, and Chris Olave.
More news: LSU Fans Send Clear Message About Jayden Daniels in Clemson Rout More news: NFL Drops Hammer on Browns Player With Season’s Largest Preseason Fine Nacua, a fifth-round pick in 2023 out of BYU, has earned two Pro Bowl nods in his first three years and first-team All-Pro honors last season after hauling in 129 catches on 166 targets for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns. He and Davante Adams form one of the most dangerous wide receiver duos in the league, and having both healthy for Week 1 gives the Rams a massive boost. Rams-49ers kicks off Thursday at 8:35 p.m.
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