Sean McVay isn't waiting for the league office. The Rams coach said the team expects Puka Nacua and Alaric Jackson to play Thursday night against the 49ers, despite both players still carrying unresolved legal situations. No suspension for the season opener, as far as McVay knows.
The NFL has already handed out suspensions to other players this offseason. Yet for these two Rams starters, the discipline clock appears to be stopped, at least for Week 1. Nacua is the receiver who became Matthew Stafford's go-to target. Jackson is the left tackle tasked with protecting Stafford's blind side. Against San Francisco's front, that second piece might matter more than any pass-catching option.
This is the NFC West. It's a division opener, and the Rams play it on a short week. Teams rarely get clarity this late. In the modern NFL, the league's discipline calendar usually forces a ruling before game week, not after it, because a suspension announced midweek becomes a circus. McVay saying "we expect them to play" is not just hope. Coaches don't make that statement publicly unless the league has signaled something privately.
If either player were out, the Rams would be scrambling. Nacua's replacement means fewer weapons against a defense that can pressure Stafford. Jackson's replacement means a backup left tackle against Nick Bosa. That's how September openers get lost. Instead, Los Angeles gets to game-plan with both starters in place.
Expect both to play. The Rams' public confidence suggests the league told McVay the cases won't impact Thursday. A suspension could still land later in the season, after the opener passes. But for one night against a division rival, Los Angeles has its playmaker and its protector. In a Week 1 that could swing the NFC West, that is the edge the Rams wanted.