With Rams 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 doesn’t have a hernia. As Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews explained early in Sunday’s Rams-Eagles game, Nacua has a “pre-hernia.” There is a weakness in the muscle wall that prevents the internal tissue from coming through. But, for now, nothing has transpired. So it’s not a hernia yet. But it could still turn into a hernia. The question is whether rest has allowed the weakness/tightness in the affected hip/groin area to improve enough to prevent a hernia from developing. If it ever happens, there is only one way to fix it. At one point, McVay tiptoed around the situation by saying that “some of the things can be like a prehernia.” As Andrews said on Sunday, there is no “like” in this. Nacua has been dealing with symptoms of the type of weakness in structures that can allow a hernia to form. He hasn’t done it yet, and it may just be a matter of luck. On Sunday, Nacua was able to play… and do well. He had nine receptions for 125 yards. It remains to be seen if the forces applied while accelerating, changing direction, etc. things will get worse. The overriding question is whether it can and will heal over time, especially as you continue to apply stress to the affected area. Either way, it’s a worrying situation for one of the NFL’s best receivers. And it’s something that could still result in a condition requiring surgery, during or after the 2026 season.
