Puka Nacua left a joint practice against the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday and although neither Sean McVay nor Matthew Stafford knew what happened at the time, Ian Rapoport later reported it as a “minor” groin injury.
Reportedly Nacua is fine, but only time will tell if this causes the star receiver to miss any more practices moving forward. Elsewhere on the Rams’ roster, Myles Garrett missed his second straight day of practice with a knee injury.
The L.A. Rams have built a “super-team” this offseason, but they better hope none of these injuries become super serious.
Puka Nacua injury: Rams star reportedly dealing with ‘minor’ groin soreness (ramswire)
“According to Rapoport, Nacua is dealing with minor soreness in his groin that doesn’t appear to be serious.
Still, any absence involving Nacua draws scrutiny given his track record. He suffered a significant right-knee injury that was later aggravated in the season opener in 2025, resulting in a PCL sprain and five games on injured reserve. In 2025, an ankle sprain against Baltimore briefly slowed him again, though he missed just one game before closing out a career year. Nacua is known for his aggressive play style, too, which sometimes leads to lots of bumps and bruises throughout the year.“
Rams’ Sean McVay Announces Puka Nacua News After Leaving Practice (athlonsports)
“Nacua was elected to his first All-Pro team, and with the core of McVay-Stafford-Nacua intact, Los Angeles expects to make it back to the Super Bowl for the 2026 season. The team is currently training at its practice facility at the Warner Center in Woodland Hills, California. On Tuesday, the team received news about a potential injury to its star wide receiver.
On the social media website X, ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry reported that Nacua left practice early with the training staff. Head coach McVay kept the information close to the vest, as McVay did not give an update on the potential injury to former BYU Cougar standout.“
Rams Star Puka Nacua Could Be Suspended For Week 1 (sports.yahoo.com)
“The antisemism allegations followed an earlier incident in which Nacua made a gesture that “perpetuated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people” on a livestream in December. Nacua apologized, and the NFL and Rams publicly condemned his actions. Although he didn’t offer any updates on the legal situation, Nacua addressed his offseason to reporters two weeks ago.
“There’s definitely trying to take accountability for the things that I know that I can continue to change and can grow in ways that I know that have helped me feel as best as I can when I step out here on the football field and outside of the football field,” Nacua said.“
Practice Points: Cowboys’ defense dominates Rams in joint practice (dallascowboys..com)
“All eyes are on the Dallas Cowboys’ defense entering the 2026 season and, after their joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams, the optimism hovering over Christian Parker and his staff is feeling justified.
The “iron sharpens iron” mantra that forces Parker’s group to face off daily against Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and Javonte Williams, showed up in a big way when the new-look defense was tested for the first time against another team.
And the fact that team is led by Matthew Stafford, schemed by Sean McVay and contains tons of firepower both downfield and in the backfield matters that much more.
In the end, Parker’s defense owned the day, led by linebacker Justin Barron, who gave Stafford and Stetson Bennett pure hell in LA.“
From the Podium: Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford react to Rams’ joint practice with Cowboys (therams.com)
“We’ve been going against each other for a long time. It’ll be good to be able to look at the film, see what we can learn. These are opportunities for us to grow, even though we don’t game plan it, we’re just testing our rules. But there was a lot of good stuff really from both sides, and I look forward to really looking at the film and diving into how we can learn from it.” – McVay
The joint practice was the first opportunity to see a different defense and offense for the Rams after spending the last two weeks at LMU. Although the practice is unscripted for the offense, McVay still acknowledges the benefits that can come from examining the operations against a different defense.“
Rams Get Positive Puka Nacua Injury Update, Remain Cautious With Myles Garrett (si.com)
“Nacua wasn’t the only player the Rams were cautious with on Tuesday. After missing three consecutive practices during training camp, Garrett returned to the field for the final two days. He also practiced when the team got back to Woodland Hills. However, Garrett was held out once again for the joint practice with the Cowboys due to some swelling in his knee. McVay said that Garrett felt 85 percent, but the team erred on the side of caution.
“We just erred on the side of caution,” said McVay. “He wanted to be able to be out there, but we want to make sure that when he returns to play, he’s able to return to full performance and feel like himself. There’s nothing to be concerned about. It was just us erring on the side of caution.”
Is Aaron Donald returning to Rams? Rumors, news and updates for Aug. 11 (usatoday)
“As the Los Angeles Rams prepare for their first preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, Aug. 15, their biggest question mark remains the status of Aaron Donald and whether or not he will return for a potential run at the Super Bowl this season.
Momentum seems to be pointing in the direction of Donald, one of the greatest defensive linemen of all-time, suiting up for the Rams again after walking away from the game three years ago, but neither he nor head coach Sean McVay have yet to say anything definitive. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year worked out with the team last week and was spotted running through drills with Braden Fiske and Desjuan Johnson at the Rams’ practice facility on Sunday, Aug. 9. McVay told reporters on Thursday that Donald flew out his speed trainer from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles.“
Cowboys star makes NSFW wager with Rams before heated joint practice (nypost)
“There was no indication the Rams accepted his challenge—or that a Los Angeles player was even within earshot. It takes two sides to make a wager, especially when the proposed prize could be sitting inside a six-figure jewelry collection.
Prescott has previously described trash talk as part of his leadership style, saying he deliberately provokes teammates who respond well to confrontation.
“I start a lot of it,” Prescott said in 2023. “I open the door and make people feel comfortable to talk trash to me.”
The Rams supplied a response once practice began.“
10 Observations from Rams’ joint practice with Cowboys: Pass game and pass rush in focus (therams.com)
“”I thought he was great,” McVay said when asked about Stafford’s performance. “There was one where just a little bit late over the middle, but I thought he kept the ball in play. I thought he saw coverage really well.”
Stetson Bennett IV gets majority of second-team reps, Ty Simpson shines in his opportunities: Like in Rams Training Camp at LMU, Bennett took the majority of the second-team offense reps. He often received pressure from the Cowboys’ defensive front, but was still able to make plays down the field with a pair of interceptions mixed in by Barron over the middle. The rookie Simpson came in for a drive starting from midfield and a drive in the redzone, where on the second, he lofted a touchdown off his back foot to wide receiver Mario Williams in the back of the endzone.
Offensive line boosts run and pass game while switching out tackles: Offensive tackles Warren McClendon Jr. and Alaric Jackson have taken the vast majority of the reps with the first-team offense. On the first-team offense during the joint practice, offensive linemen David Quessenberry and Keagan Trost came in at left tackle and right tackle, respectively, throughout practice. Stafford quickly noted that he thought “our guys up front played really well,” and especially in the run game with interior offensive linemen Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson receiving a shoutout.“
NFL Catchup: Rams Stars Injured, Vikings Make QB1 Decision And More 49ers Injuries (foxsports)
“Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant is undergoing knee surgery and expected to miss the next four-to-six months, while San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa deals with tendinitis in his surgically repaired knee as he eyes a Week 1 return.”
Comment of the Day:
How about them Cowboys? I think they might be pretty good…
“I’m still chuckling!! It’s just that, the Dallas Cowboys and Super Bowl don’t even sound right in the same breath!! Like you said, it’s been 30 years since the last time the went to the big game. And even when they seem to be better, Jerry Jones has a way of inserting himself into the fray and steals the shine away from the team, makes it about himself, and the team implodes!! That’s the Dallas Cowboys I know. Just watch it unfold!!
GO RAMS!!!“ -AntmanGee
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