Rams stars Puka Nacua, Myles Garrett take crucial first step toward return

The Los Angeles Rams got two of their biggest stars back on the field on Tuesday, but neither participated in practice. 

Wide receiver Puka Nacua and defensive end Myles Garrett returned to the field as the Rams continued preparations for the 2026 season, but both remained spectators when the team portion of practice began. 

Instead, Nacua, who is dealing with a psoas injury, and Garrett, who is nursing a knee issue, worked individually off to the side with members of the Rams’ staff. Garrett wore shoulder pads as he went through his workout. Nacua did not. 

Nonetheless, it was progress, and a crucial first step for both players to be able to be cleared to return to practice at some point this week or next. 

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua speaks to media after training camp at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (This asset –including all text, audio and imagery –is provided by Imagn Images. Reuters Connect ha) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rams’ head coach Sean McVay said both players remain day-to-day and are expected to sit out the remainder of this week as the team takes a deliberately cautious approach with two players who are vital for L.A.’s success. 

“And anytime you’re talking about a soft tissue, especially with a skilled player … we’re going to err on the side of caution, while not minimizing how important it is to get those guys out there,” McVay said.

That balance is particularly important with Nacua. There is little upside in testing a soft-tissue injury in August when the Rams need their star receiver healthy for the regular season come September. 

Other Rams injuries

Elsewhere on the injury front, offensive lineman Justin Dedich, sidelined since the beginning of training camp with a broken hand suffered on the Fourth of July, also worked individually on Tuesday. McVay said Dedich could eventually return to practice with a cast, but his removal from the non-football injury list will depend on how his hand responds over the next week while working with the athletic training and strength staff. 

Another update on tight end Davis Allen was positive. Allen appears to be nearing the finish line in his recovery from a quad injury, and McVay said Allen could be back on the practice field as soon as next week and should be available for the Rams Week 1 season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. 

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett is seen during a joint practice against the Dallas Cowboys at the Rams Practice Facility in Woodland Hills, California, on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. (This asset – including all text, audio and imagery – is provided by Imagn Images. Reuters Connec) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Rams also shuffled their wide receiver room on Tuesday, signing Alex Bachman for a second stint with the team and waiving/injured Mario Williams. 

Bachman is a native of Westlake Village and returns to the organization that originally signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest in 2019. He’s expected to contribute primarily on special teams and could be used as both a punt and kickoff returner. 

The Rams will be off on Wednesday before holding a joint practice with the New Orleans Saints at their facility in Woodland Hills on Thursday.

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