Puka Nacua Cleared to Return; Aaron Donald Out vs. Eagles

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is cleared to return Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles after missing two games with a hip and groin issue, while three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald has been ruled out with back soreness, ESPN and NFL.com reported from coach Sean McVay’s Friday availability ahead of the Week 4 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field.

Nacua carries no game-status designation after practicing all three days this week and finishing Friday as a full participant, the team’s official injury report confirms. McVay told reporters the reigning receptions leader “looked really good,” citing sharp breaks, strength, and explosiveness, while cautioning that snap count and conditioning will still be navigated on gameday. ESPN notes Nacua has been managing the injury since a Sept. 17 practice when directional cuts flared pain; he posted five catches for 74 yards in the season opener before the two-game absence.

Donald, who returned from a two-year retirement to rejoin the Rams this season, will sit after missing the full week of practice with back soreness that surfaced after Los Angeles’s 30–26 Week 3 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football, both ESPN and NFL.com recount. McVay framed the decision as protecting a player who “would do it” if asked, saying it would be “irresponsible” to put him out when he is “just not feeling good enough.” Donald has played two games since returning—against the New York Giants and Broncos—after missing the Australia opener while ramping up; he had not recorded a sack in those appearances but drew attention with run stops and pressures, NFL.com notes.

The defensive line picture tightens further because reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett remains on injured reserve after knee surgery and will miss at least two more games, NFL.com adds. Interior pressure duties fall toward Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske, with Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart, and Wesley Bailey among the edge options. On offense, Davante Adams has piled up 332 receiving yards over the past two weeks while Nacua was sidelined, giving Stafford another proven target alongside the returning WR1.

Additional Rams outs for Sunday include tight end Terrance Ferguson (ankle) and cornerback Jaylen Watson (shoulder); tight end Colby Parkinson (knee/shoulder) is questionable, per the Rams’ Week 4 injury report and ESPN’s Friday wrap. Philadelphia lists wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) among its Week 4 outs, according to the same injury tables circulated with the Rams report—raising the stakes of Nacua’s return in a 1 p.m. ET FOX window as Los Angeles seeks to reach 2–2 before hosting the Buffalo Bills in Week 5.

McVay is 1–6 in his career against the Eagles, NFL.com notes, including last season’s collapse from a 26–7 lead that ended on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. No invented snap counts or fantasy projections are claimed here beyond the dual wire and team accounts of availability. For readers tracking NFL weekend developments on Sports, verified as of Oct. 2–4 reports: Nacua is expected to play without a designation; Donald is out with a back issue; Ferguson and Watson are also out; dual coverage from ESPN and NFL.com aligns on McVay’s comments without adding unverified scoreline forecasts for Sunday’s game.