Who will step up for Rams if Puka Nacua can’t go?

It’s being expected that Puka Nacua will miss Week 3 after missing Week 2, so who will step up in his place? The tight-end room? A specific player? No one?

Last week Terrance Ferguson seemed to dish out some of the physical catch and runs taht Nacua has done throughout his career, but Davante Adams saw a massive day without Nacua.

How will things look in Week 3? Asking for a friend.

Whether Puka suits up or not, the Rams have a Sunday Night Football game to get ready for.

”Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said on Thursday that the “most likely option” for the Rams is that Nacua will miss Sunday’s game in Denver, and that he would “be surprised” if the wideout suits up.

The Rams don’t believe it’s a long-term issue and that it just needs time to heal, but Sean McVay admitted earlier this week that Nacua is “not making great progress.”

Assuming he misses the game against Denver, who will step up for the Rams at wide receiver? As deep as that group is, there aren’t many great options.“

“We’ll see,” McVay explained. “You know, he’s not making great progress, but we’ll love to welcome Puka back with open arms, but if not, I’ve got a ton of confidence in this group that we will go with if he doesn’t go.”

Nacua was upgraded to play in the Rams’ Week 1 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. He was targeted nine times and caught five passes for 74 yards in the Rams’ 27-7 loss against the 49ers.“

“While Puka Nacua is not expected to play, the Rams still boast one of the better offensive teams in the league. Aaron Donald looked great in his 2026 debut, too, and will get the chance to tee off against the Broncos’ stout offensive line.

We looked at seven outlets in Week 3 to see how the expert picks are shaking out. Across the seven outlets, the Rams were heavily picked once again, with 41 of 52 total picks favoring L.A. and just 11 for the Broncos.“

‘Trevor Sikkema breaks down the Rams 5-star advantage over the Broncos on passing vs the blitz according to NFL Pro.“

““Probably pretty early [in my career],” said Adams. “I think probably within my first contract, definitely still at that point. They were some veteran receivers too. Guys like me who study and try to take a little bit from different people and create something that works for them. I have a lot of love from Dez Bryant. That was one of my idols coming into this thing and somebody that I’m decently close with now. I just talked to him actually yesterday too.‘

“Don’t call it a comeback. Aaron Donald is one of the top contenders in the betting odds for Comeback Player of the Year. But he isn’t even technically eligible.

Donald’s 2026 debut for the Los Angeles Rams was pretty much everything that Rams fans hoped for: Sean McVay’s squad looked back in form, and Donald — returned from retirement for a Super Bowl push — was all over it. He played 32 defensive snaps in his first game in nearly three years, finishing with a 27.8 percent pass-rush win rate, according to SumerSports.“

“The first play on the next drive? Ferguson making a nine-yard reception. Eight players later, he punctuated the drive catching a five-yard touchdown pass from Stafford.

“I think that’s from my faith, honestly,” Ferguson said of his steady demeanor. “Just knowing I go out there and I play for something bigger than myself, and just that you make a bad play, you drop a ball like I’ve done (Ferguson smiles as he says this) doesn’t make you who you are. There’s other stuff outside of that, and also having the support of your teammates is huge. Whether you make those mistakes, or you make big plays, keeping it at even-keel, just being able to respond each play.”

“That’s one of the reasons the Los Angeles Rams were heavy favorites to win the Super Bowl heading into the season and still are the favorites. Offensively, LA has the reigning MVP and an explosive offense. So what does the return of Donald mean?

To get a feel for the Rams and how big it was to get their first win against the New York Giants, we go “behind enemy lines” with Evan Craig from Turf Show Times.“

“But while Williams and Corum are similar, McVay said he believes the team is better when both are getting the ball. McVay said Williams and Corum are “similar in stature, but I also think they bring some unique things.”

“It’s like a pitcher changing up his pitches,” McVay said.

Through two weeks, Williams and Corum have nearly split the carries exactly. Williams has 23 carries for 126 yards and a touchdown, while Corum has 22 carries for 133 yards. Last season, it was closer to a 65%-35% split in Williams’ favor.

“We look at it like we have two great backs,” McVay said. “Those guys being able to spell each other, I think, is when we’re at our best.”

“Recap the Los Angeles Rams’ Week 2 win over the New York Giants, featuring defensive end Aaron Donald’s return, an interception by cornerback Trent McDuffie, quarterback Matthew Stafford’s four touchdowns, and more.”

“JB, one of the many reasons I enjoy your writing is that you are numbers-based factual guy, trying to take emotion out of your assessments.

The issues I have with writing something like this, after only 2 weeks are:

It is an incredibly small sample sizeThere are LEGIT issues using these 2 games (Australia & no-Puka)New OC, which we know requires time to mesh with McVay (Liam Coen anyone?)

To me, you need 4 games to collect the data you are studying, to get a true glimpse as to how the offense is truly performing, with or without Puka.

After the 4 games, you will get a read on how the new OC & HFC are working together, how the OL is actually performing as a unit and how game plans are being implemented regardless of who is on the field” -PAramsfan1972

I noticed in the Rams’ injury report that Whittington practiced for the first time in two weeks on Thursday. It was still classified as limited participation, but its encouraging that he seems to be recovering from his quad injury. Maybe he’ll be good to go on Sunday night.

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