This season is a big one for Puka Nacua and the Los Angeles Rams, but both sides got a reminder of how they got to this point and where they currently stand heading into the 2026 preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Nacua is in the final year of his contract and is due for a raise. The Rams have held off on several players, but they specifically want to see better off-field behavior from Nacua.
Make no mistake, though: Nacua remains a force on the field.
Rams Drop 5-Word Message About Puka Nacua After NFL Notice
GettyPuka Nacua ranked 7th on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list for 2026
“Powerful Puka on the list [clipboard emoji],” the Rams posted on X on August 27, celebrating Nacua coming in seventh on the NFL Top 100 Players list for the 2026 season, a 34-spot jump from 2025 for the fourth-year pro out of BYU by way of Washington.
The Rams also shared their own highlight cut-up of Nacua.
“Roll the tape for pLAymaker Puka! [VHS tape emoji],” the Rams said in their second post about the reigning NFL receptions leader.
In the video, Nacua talks about being more expressive on running plays than he is after making a reception, which underscores the physical playing style and mindset that he brings to the field for the Rams.
“The passes I catch, I scream and flex a lot. But on a run play, I think I scream and flex a little bit more,” Nacua said before a clip of him screaming “I lift weights, m***********!” in a game.
Rams senior offensive assistant Eric Yarber told Nacua he was a “bad man!” in that clip.
“When you connect to somebody, and you get to run your feet through them,” Nacua explained in the video, expressing his joy for physical play. “I know that I was at the point of attack right there, and be like, ‘Man, I dominated my man.’”
Teammates Past & Present Praise Puka Nacua
GettyPuka Nacua’s playing style impresses those who see him almost every day.
The video from the league included plenty of commentary, including from Nacua’s teammate, Rams running back Kyren Williams.
“Probably the greatest catch in NFL history, when he was able to come here like this and catch the ball over somebody. … Yeah, we’re used to this. But when you go like this, and flip the hand over, that creates a whole different type of difficulty,” Rams running back Kyren Williams said during his reaction in the NFL’s video, which was shared on X on August 27.
“I think the coolest thing that he’s able to do when he catches the ball is how many tackles he’s able to break.”
Williams described one of the plays the Rams and the NFL both included in their highlights, saying, “The jet sweep that he took 40 yards to the crib against the Tennessee Titans. Put his foot in the ground was like a great running back there, running through the smoke.
“Every play Puka does is one of his best plays to me.”
Rams safety Quentin Lake said, “His hands are like baseball mitts. He has very, very strong hands,” adding that Nacua is “just a dog. He’s a dude that is selfless, and he brings the energy all the time.
“He loves the contact, and he doesn’t care about it. He wants to run you over; he wants to run through contact.”
Former Rams EDGE Jared Verse, now of the Cleveland Browns, also praised Nacua.
“Boy, when you got a wide receiver like that, when you know the ball’s up in the air, like, ‘Oh, it’s a deep ball?’ Like, ‘Yeah, it’s about to be a catch,’” Verse said. “You know it’s gonna be something good.”
During another in-game clip, Verse tells a former Rams teammate, “One of my biggest places in the world: I think I can do most s***. I couldn’t do that,” after a catch Nacua made.
Fellow Pass-Catchers Respect Puka Nacua’s Game
GettyOther playmakers lauded Puka Nacua.
Nacua drew plenty of love from outside the Rams, including fellow wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Alec Pierce.
“Puka’s making a ton of plays,” Pierce, who plays for the Indianapolis Colts, said. “Almost like a running back with the ball in his hands.”
Doubs, who was sent from the Green Bay Packers to the New England Patriots in a trade this offseason, said that Nacua is “such a football player.”
Tight ends George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers) and Trey McBride (Arizona Cardinals) also praised Nacua.
“He’s incredibly violent, he’s physical, he makes the plays when he needs to make the plays,” Kittle, who will see Nacua and the Rams in the regular-season opener, said. “He takes screens for touchdowns for 40 yards.
“He’ll beat you deep, he’ll beat you over in the middle. He’s just a super, super well-rounded wide receiver that catches everything that you throw at him.”
McBride cited Nacua’s ability in traffic.
“I think the thing that makes Puka very special is his ability to make the contested catch,” McBride said. “Even when he’s covered, he’s not. He’s going to catch the ball. He’s going to make these tremendous catches when he shouldn’t.”
Rival DBs Get Honest About Puka Nacua
GettyOpponents know Puka Nacua is a difficult assignment.
Nacua’s direct opposition even admitted how formidable he is on the field, including a pair of teammates in Calen Bullock and Kamari Lassiter of the Houston Texans.
Bullock picked Nacua as the “best receiver,” saying the decision was “hands down.”
“Puka’s a dawg. I’m not gonna lie, he’s a dawg,” Lassiter said during his sit-down for the NFL’s project. “He plays a game the right way. He plays with that passion and energy like he just refuses to be stopped.”
Former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, also tipped his cap to Nacua.
“The guy’s a dawg, man,” Woolen said. “Whenever you going against him, you gotta bring it.”
The Rams will close out the 2026 preseason on Thursday against the Los Angeles Chargers, and Nacua is not playing, which likely would have been the case were he not dealing with a psoas injury.
Rams Send Message on Puka Nacua After Notice From NFL