Puka Nacua and Alaric Jackson are officially expected to suit up for the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, despite some major off-field issues the duo has been dealing with this offseason. It is massive news for the Rams, who desperately need these guys on the field facing off against a brutal Niners squad.
McVay Confirms Starters, But Legal Issues Linger
Sean McVay, the Rams’ head coach, straight up said he expects Nacua and left tackle Jackson to play in Thursday’s season opener. The word from McVay is “Yeah, absolutely,” and he “haven’t heard anything different.” This is huge, especially since ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on August 30 that neither player was placed on the commissioner exempt list, even though both cases are still under NFL review. For a tough Week 1 matchup, getting these two on the field is a major win for the Rams, who are gonna need every single bit of help they can get.
The Rams’ Wild Australia Travel Plan
Now, let’s talk about this Australia trip, because it’s wild. These teams are flying over 15,000 miles to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and their travel plans couldn’t be more different. The 49ers jetted off last Wednesday, September 2, giving themselves more than a week to get used to that insane 14-hour time difference. The Rams? Nope. They’re staying put in Inglewood, flying out the day *before* the game and leaving right after. McVay compared it to a “Friday evening” schedule for a typical Sunday game, saying players can “sleep through the night” on lay-flat beds. They did something similar in London last October, beating the Jaguars 35-7. But that was a shorter flight and they were already on the East Coast for a week. This is a 15-hour flight across the Pacific! Are they really gonna be fresh?
So, Thursday’s game is gonna be star-studded no matter what, with guys like Aaron Donald and George Kittle expected to be out there. But man, all eyes are gonna be on Nacua and Jackson after their offseason, and even more so on how the Rams handle this absolutely insane travel schedule. Can they pull off another win with this last-minute approach? Or will the 49ers’ early arrival pay off big time? We’ll find out when the first snap drops down under.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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