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Puka Nacua's contract looms over his injury absence

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is currently facing a potential second consecutive absence due to a groin injury, with questions mounting over his timeline to return as his rookie contract nears its conclusion. Nacua is set to earn $5.767 million in the final year of his deal, while a member of the same draft class, Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, has already secured a second contract worth $42.15 million annually.

While off-field issues have previously delayed Nacua's extension talks, his current hesitation to push through the injury stems from a lack of long-term financial security and a desire to protect his market value.

ESPN reporter Adam Schefter noted that while Nacua could return as early as next week, the groin problem has diminished his trademark explosiveness on the field. Although the wideout is functionally capable of playing, he has opted to sit out rather than risk worsening the injury or performing below the elite standards expected of a top-tier receiver during a critical contract year.

Team officials currently do not believe surgical intervention will be required, though it remains a possibility, leaving the bottom line that a lucrative new deal might have accelerated his return to the lineup.

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