Rams WR Puka Nacua Doubtful for Sunday Night Football With Groin Injury
Functionally, Nacua can play, but he has not felt like he can play with the same explosiveness he has had in the past.
is officially doubtful for Sunday Night Football against the , and the explanation is a classic piece of NFL injury theater. According to Adam Schefter, the star is dealing with a groin issue that has completely sapped his explosiveness.
The report notes that Nacua can functionally play, which is just a polite way of saying he can jog in a straight line but would get absolutely cooked by a starting cornerback. In the NFL, trying to play wide receiver without burst is like trying to merge onto the highway in a golf cart.
is coming off a dominant 28-6 win over the , but heading into is a different assignment. The Broncos just grounded out a 20-13 win over the , and their defense is not the kind of unit you want to test on a bad groin.
For the fantasy managers and late-slate bettors who were hoping Nacua would save their weekend, it is time to find a backup plan. Any player props attached to the passing game will see a massive shift with the offense missing its top target.
The silver lining for the Rams is that the front office views this as a short-term problem. Surgery is currently off the table, and the team is targeting next week's matchup against the for his return.
The Eagles are rolling into that future matchup after a tight 24-20 win over the . The know they will need a fully operational offense to keep pace with , making a week of rest for Nacua the only logical move.
Expect Nacua to watch from the sidelines in the altitude this Sunday. If that missing explosiveness does not return by next week, the optimistic timeline is going to vanish in a hurry.