The D.J. Moore experiment is absolutely not going as the team would have hoped. Since a triumphant 5 catch, 100 yard debut against the Houston Texans, the former Chicago Bear has managed just 6 total receptions over the course of the next 3 games, in addition to missing the past two entirely due to a shoulder injury.
So the Bills may want to turn their attention to another option at wideout. One who is both young, proven and will unquestionably help elevate Buffalo’s offense at every stage.
Puka Nacua.
Whilst the natural first reaction may be that there is no way that the former fifth round draft pick is up for sale, that may not be the case.
Speaking prior to Week 7’s slate of games, long-time sports broadcaster Colin Cowherd commented that the Los Angles Rams have not extended wideout Puka Nacua for a reason.
Rams Have Been ‘Putting Out Fires’ For Puka Nacua – Cowherd
“He’s a remarkable talent. He’s also very immature. Putting out fires behind the scenes for 3 years. You’ve read about some of them, and he gets hurt pretty regularly.” Cowherd said last week on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
“So this is when GMing is really hard, because he’s an unbelievable talent…but is giving him $100 million going to make him more mature? They’ve been putting out some fires, and you’ve read about some of it. And so my take is, if the Rams felt good about it, he’d have a contract. I wouldn’t pay him.”
Cowherd is famously close with the Rams’ front office, including general manager Les Snead; having lived in Los Angeles for a decade between 2015 and 2025. And it could well be that the Fox Sports host’s comments may be being used as a covert bat signal to entice potentially interested parties.
Nacua’s contract is up at the end of the season; an almost unheard of reality for a player who has made two All-Pro teams.
But with injuries; including a calf problem that he is still currently managing and which kept him out of practice last Friday – alongside a variety of off-the-field issues, only some of which are publicly known, per Cowherd – it is easy to see why LA might decide to move off their star wideout.
The Rams also have multiple other players to play at key positions over the next year or two, having drafted superbly in 2023 and 2024.
Defensive lineman Kobie Turner, offensive linemen Warren McLendon and Steve Avila, edge rusher Byron Young are all set for either big-money extensions or departure at the end of the season.
Nacua would cost more than any of them, and at this point in his career would also be the most high-risk.
Is Puka Nacua Worth the Massive Financial Burden?
For the Bills, the 25-year old represents a chance to finally replace Stefon Diggs with a young, hungry player who can be one of the NFL’s elite, elite receivers for the next half-decade and perhaps more.
Buffalo has a brutal cap situation in 2027, and they currently lie $35 million over the salary cap for next season.
However, with a restructure to quarterback Josh Allen’s contract, in addition to one of their other highly-compensated talents – ironically like D.J. Moore – the Bills could make it work financially.
Even if it breaks the bank and lands the team in hot-water for years to come, players with the talent profile of Nacua almost never hit the market. And when you have a quarterback like Josh Allen needing a top-end WR, sacrifices sometimes need to be made.
Buffalo Bills Receive: Puka Nacua
Los Angeles Rams Receive: 2027 1st Round Pick, 2028 1st Round Pick, Keon Coleman
Bills Trade Idea Lands All-Pro WR After Telling Media Insight