With Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua having “core muscle” issues during training camp and then a hip/groin issue that caused him to miss two games, it started to look like Nacua might have a hernia.
But coach Sean McVay, during Puka’s recent absence, said the Rams’ top receiver did not have a hernia.
As Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews explained at the start of Sunday’s Rams-Eagles game, Nacua has a “pre-hernia.”
Basically, there is a weakness in the muscle wall that prevents internal tissues from passing through. But for the moment, nothing has filtered out. So it’s not yet a hernia. But it could still become a hernia.
The question is whether rest allowed the weakness/tension in the affected hip/groin area to improve enough to prevent a hernia from developing. If this ever happens, there is only one way to resolve the problem.
At one point, McVay tiptoed around the situation by saying that “some of the things it may look like a pre-hernia.” As Andrews said on Sunday, there are no “likes” about it. Nacua experienced symptoms of the type of structural weakness that can allow a hernia to form. This isn’t the case yet, and maybe it’s just a matter of luck.
On Sunday, Nacua was able to play – and play well. He had nine catches for 125 yards. It remains to be seen whether the forces applied during its acceleration, change of direction, etc. will only make things worse. The overarching question is whether it can and will heal over time, especially as it continues to apply stress to the affected area.
Either way, it’s a concerning situation for one of the best receivers in the NFL. And it’s something that could still result in a condition that will require surgery, during or after the 2026 season.
Gn sports
