The Los Angeles Rams may be spending some of their time wondering if the San Francisco 49ers will have All-Pro tight end George Kittle available for their high-profile Week 1 showdown out in Melbourne, Australia.
Now, the Niners may be wondering if L.A. will be without star wide receiver Puka Nacua for the same NFC West tilt.
According to insight from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NFL's league leader in receptions from a season ago might potentially miss the regular-season opener because of disciplinary actions from the league, stemming from off-field incidents that apparently violate the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Potential discipline looms over a group of NFL players, including Rams WR Puka Nacua and Packers RB Josh Jacobs.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 11, 2026
Cc: @tyschmit
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"“We'll leave that to the NFL to figure out what did and didn't happen," Schefter said. "But it's possible that when the Niners and Rams play in Australia, it's within the realm of options that Puka doesn't play in that game."
49ers wouldn't mind Puka Nacua missing Week 1 showdown
San Francisco is already an underdog against the Rams, who are the current top contenders for the Super Bowl. While there's plenty of focus on the defensive upgrades L.A. made over the offseason, including adding defensive end Myle Garrett and flirting with a potentially unretiring defensive tackle, Aaron Donald, Nacua is easily the second-best offensive weapon head coach Sean McVay has behind quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Nacua notched 1,715 receiving yards last season, averaging a league-best 107.2 yards per game.
Assuming those would be the kind of numbers he'd put up against the 49ers, they'll happily accept any suspension if it meant the Niners would get a better edge over their NFC West rivals.
San Francisco's secondary, in particular, might be one of the weaker links of coordinator Raheem Morris' defense, too. While Deommodore Lenoir would likely be the No. 1 cornerback responsible for shadowing Nacua, assuming he plays, the threat the receiver presents certainly would open up additional opportunities for Stafford's other options.
Should the 49ers find themselves in position to avoid all that, they'd gladly take it.
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