Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is due.
The NFL’s reigning receptions leader is in the final year of his four-year, $4.1 million contract and is one of several Rams players in line for a substantial raise. It seemed inevitable just one year ago, but Nacua’a off-field actions have led to some apparent hesitation from the Rams.
The Rams do not have to question where Nacua stands, with training camp and another potentially monster season approaching.
Rams Get Clear Message From Puka Nacua
GettyPuka Nacua’s uncertain future with the Los Angeles Rams continues to draw attention.
Nacua is one of several NFL stars who are in New York for Fanatics Fest 2026, and the Rams playmaker was asked about his future with the organization. A fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft, Nacua has significantly outplayed his draft slot.
That is why the Rams’ decision to hold off on an extension has been tied to his off-field issues.
Asked directly if he wants to be with the Rams beyond this season, Nacua delivered a matter-of-fact, “That’s the plan,” per Sleeper’s Arye Pulli on July 18.
“That’s the plan.”
Nacua’s on-field impact is undeniable. The Rams star, among other things, owns the record for career receiving yards per game.
But calling out officials, attempting to live stream from the Rams’ team facilities against head coach Sean McVay’s wishes, to planning a touchdown celebration–that he did not follow through with–to a lawsuit over an alleged biting incident on New Year’s Eve have dimmed his star.
Despite that, the Rams are light on experience behind him and Davante Adams.
The franchise tag is an option for Nacua. But that is still expensive. It also only kicks the can down the road for him and the Rams. It could risk fracturing their relationship as well.
Sean McVay Put Puka Nacua on Notice
GettySean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams are still working through the makeup of their roster.
The Rams telegraphed their inaction with Nacua, as McVay laid out how he has been impactful on the field but that they could do without his off-field distractions. Ultimately, McVay made it clear the Rams want Nacua in the fold for as long as possible.
“The play on the field is amazing. And then, with what the play has dictated and determined, is a responsibility in terms of representing all things, not exclusive to just that [on-field actions]. He knows that those are the expectations, and we’re hopeful that that’ll be something that this will be an opportunity for him to learn and grow,” McVay told reporters in March.
“We are hopeful that he’s a Ram for a really long time, but he understands what the responsibility is, not exclusive to just the production.”
That was notably after McVay defended Nacua.
The remarks came after Nacua’s comments about officials and this planned TD celebration, but before his lawsuit. They also came before Nacua checked himself into a private rehabilitation facility this offseason.
Nacua has been candid about the improvements that he has made in his life, which is a step in the right direction of what the Rams want to see.
It is unclear how long the Rams plan to wait to decide on Nacua’s future.
He is not their only player in the final year of their contract or who is extension-eligible. But the Rams’ trades for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson in free agency have significantly altered their financial outlook.
Puka Nacua Puts Non-Receiver Skills to Test
GettyPuka Nacua tried his hand at a few skills challenges at Fanatics Fest NYC.
Nacua also tried his hand at some of the various skills challenges set up at Fanatics Fest NYC, and it did not exactly go as well as it often does for him on the field.
He tried his hand at shooting a basketball, pitching a baseball, and golf, with Sleeper’s Arye Pulli noting in a post on X on July 18 that “#Rams WR Puka Nacua is damn good at football” but that the Rams star “needs a little bit of work on the putting though.”
Former teammate Joshua Karty caught a stray over Nacua’s attempt at a field goal.
“Aiming for everything but the goal,” Nacua captioned the clip of the shanked attempt, which he posted on his Instagram story.
Puka Nacua Sends Clear Message Amid Rams Uncertainty