Puka Nacua’s status remains up in the air as the Los Angeles Rams‘ wide receiver suffered a calf injury gearing up for Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season. As if Davante Adams’ ruptured hamstring wasn’t a blow tough enough for the Rams‘ WR depth chart, they may now be without their best two pass-catchers. However, LA is sanguine.
“Rams are optimistic that WR Puka Nacua will play vs. the Raiders,” Adam Schefter reported on X. “Nacua was feeling better Saturday and, as one source said, ‘as long as there aren’t any setbacks, we feel good about him being available to play’.”
According to Nate Atkins of The Athletic, the Rams wouldn’t know whether Nacua will play against the Raiders until the very last minute, but they may have a better understanding now. Los Angeles will use warmups to determine whether Puka Nacua can suit up at Allegiant Stadium, but the latest injury update appears to be encouraging.
What was supposed to be a dream year has turned into a nightmarish ride for the Rams, who sit third in the NFC West with a 2-4 record. As things stand in the NFL season, their best players have made more headlines because of injuries than because of highlight-reel plays.
Puka Nacua #12 of the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.
Nacua raising eyebrows
Coming into the 2026 NFL season, there were many questions surrounding Nacua’s offseason and off-field scandals, but virtually none about his play or ability to lead the Rams’ receiving corps. However, Nacua has barely been able to stay healthy.
When healthy, Nacua could very well be considered the best wideout in the NFL. As cliché as it sounds, availability is indeed the most important ability. Nacua has already missed two games this year and could still miss a third in Week 7.
Nacua’s numbers
So far in the 2026 NFL season, Nacua has caught 37 passes for 512 yards, ranking 16th among WRs, and has scored only one receiving touchdown (he has another on the ground). Nacua’s struggles so far are just par for the course for Los Angeles, as it seems everything that could go wrong has gone terribly wrong.
More job for RBs and TEs
If Nacua is ruled out for Week 7 against the Raiders, the Rams will be staring at a virtually empty wide receiver room, with only Konata Mumpfield, Jordan Whittington, Tutu Atwell, CJ Daniels, and Alex Bachman confirmed to be active.
Missing both Nacua and Adams in Week 7 would only add to the workload and pressure on the shoulders of running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum.
Tight ends Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson would also be in line for expanded roles, which has been a common theme for them all year long, as the Rams still have Terrance Ferguson on Injured Reserve (IR).
Key takeaways
- Puka Nacua suffered a calf injury, leaving his Week 7 status questionable for the Rams.
- The Los Angeles Rams sit 2-4 in third place in the NFC West division.
- Puka Nacua has 37 catches for 512 receiving yards during the 2026 NFL season.
