LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is questionable to play Monday night against the New York Giants because of a groin injury.
Nacua did not practice Saturday, sidelined for the second straight day with an injury that is not related to a core muscle injury the fourth-year standout sustained during a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys in August, coach Sean McVay said.
“This is a different thing,” McVay said. “Had a really good practice, I guess it was our (game week) Wednesday, but it was Thursday. Felt good, but didn't feel totally like himself, his ability to be able to kind of open up and really hit full speed. He had some soreness in there, and so that's why we've kind of been smart with him the last couple days.”
Nacua had five receptions for 74 yards in the season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. He set career highs with 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
Nacua's backup, Jordan Whittington, is doubtful because of a quad injury, which means the Rams (0-1) could be without two of their key run-blocking wideouts. Undersized speedsters Xavier Smith and Tutu Atwell would be the next players up at that specific receiver spot in McVay's offense.
McVay did confirm that three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald is set to play after the lineman ended his retirement last month.
Donald said Friday he was planning to go against the Giants (1-0) after spending the previous two seasons out of football.
“He said it, he's going,” McVay said. “Whatever Aaron says, I support.”
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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is tackled by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green and safety Marques Sigle during the first half of an NFL football game, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua runs pass San Francisco 49ers safety Ji'ayir Brown during the first half of an NFL football game, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The city of Dearborn responded Saturday to a lawsuit accusing it of celebrating Muslim holidays and ignoring religious holidays of other faiths by blaming attacks against it on its diversity and “welcoming nature.”
A statement from the Detroit suburb issued by a spokesperson came in response to a lawsuit on Thursday that accused the city and its mayor of spending thousands of dollars to celebrate Muslim holidays while ignoring Christian and Jewish holidays.
The lawsuit in federal court revived complaints about city government that arose a year ago after the Dearborn mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, told Ted Barham, a local pastor, that he was not welcome in the city and he would stage a parade when he left.
The lawsuit by Margot Cleveland, a journalist for The Federalist, accused the city and its mayor, a Democrat, of favoring the Muslim faith over other religious beliefs in a city with a population of over 100,000 people that is majority Arab American.
It said the city for too long “has been a hostile place for Christians and Jews.”
And it added that “Hammoud has taken this hostility to the next level, openly conveying the message that Christians and Jews are not welcome in the city and are, indeed, second-class citizens.”
In its statement Saturday, the city responded by saying it "has a longstanding commitment to serving all residents fairly and equitably, regardless of faith or background.
“Our city has increasingly come under attack precisely because of its welcoming nature and the diversity of the people who proudly call Dearborn home,” the statement said.
It added: "That will not change who we are. Dearborn will continue to uphold the rights and dignity of every resident and remain a city where everyone is treated with fairness, respect, and equal protection under the law.”
The lawsuit sought unspecified damages and asked a judge to find that the city had violated the Constitution and order it to comply with the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment.
According to the lawsuit, the city of Dearborn last year spent $1,500 of public money on Ramadan banners and $5,000 on a crescent-moon symbol displayed in its Peace Park while its police department sold Ramadan-themed shirts bearing the official department emblem.
Yet, the lawsuit said, the city failed to mark the approach of the Christian holiday of Easter and the Jewish holiday of Passover in similar fashion.
When Cleveland complained and asked that other religious holidays be honored, she was repeatedly ignored, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit noted the September 2025 clash at a City Council meeting between Hammoud and Barham, saying the mayor spoke against the pastor after Barham criticized the city for naming a street after Osama Siblani, who it said had supported organizations designated as terrorist by the U.S. government.
Barham said it was “quite inappropriate” and that it would be like naming a street “Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street.”
Media reports about the City Council clash led to a November rally in Dearborn that attracted conservative influencers.
Hammoud told The Guardian for an article published in November: “People misconstrue my words and my frustration with an individual who is a bad faith actor in our community, and apply it to a whole faith, when everyone knows the city of Dearborn is a place where everyone is welcome — Christian or Jew or whatever your background.”
FILE - Rep. Abdullah Hammoud, D-Dearborn, speaks during a campaign rally in Dearborn, Mich., on March 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
