Puka Nacua took an apparent shot at Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, who helped lead his team to a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots after beating the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, and it received swift blowback.
Former Rams linebacker Ernest Jones IV, now a member of the Seahawks’ defense that keyed the Super Bowl, has had plenty to say about his former team.
Nacua’s remarks simply gave him more ammunition.
Puka Nacua Gets Sharp Reaction From Former Rams LB
GettyErnest Jones IV #13 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates an interception during a game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Nacua posted Darnold’s name and a laughing emoji on X during the game, which was enough to get a rise out of Jones, who won a Super Bowl with the Rams during his rookie season in 2021 and added a second ring to his collection on Sunday.
“Ain’t you at home,” Jones asked rhetorically in a post on X after the Super Bowl, adding “Goofy a**” for emphasis.
Nacua had nine catches, 165 yards, and 1 touchdown in the NFCCG but lamented his misses.
“Just opportunities that I missed. The third down opportunities, knowing that the ball’s coming, and we’re passing the ball, and the opportunity for us to make plays is right there, and not being able to come down with them,” Nacua said after the game. “All those moments kind of flash by in your head.”
Nacua apologized to the Rams’ defense, which kept them in the contest while the offense struggled to score touchdowns rather than field goals early. He said that he “felt like we could have executed in order to make that game easier for them.”
Ernest Jones Took Issue With Rams During Regular Season
GettyErnest Jones IV #53 of the Los Angeles Rams warms up before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Nacua is no stranger to abrasive remarks and/or actions, which have drawn him unwanted attention.
Moreover, Nacua’s remarks are not the only issue Jones has had with the 2025 Rams.
Jones and the Seahawks played a key role in Nacua and the Rams’ fall from the No. 1 seed in the NFC before the playoffs began. Seattle defeated LA on “Thursday Night Football” in overtime in Week 16 after the Rams held a 30-14 lead with seven minutes remaining.
After that contest, Jones had some choice commentary about the Rams.
“Laughin’, man. Crazy. It was disrespectful,” Ernest Jones said, per The Tacoma News Tribune’s Gregg Bell in December. “There was too much time on the clock.”
Jones made no secret about his displeasure with how his Rams tenure ended after defeating his former team to advance to the Super Bowl, while hugging head coach Sean McVay and others. But he clearly feels the Rams have an attitude problem.
Jared Verse’s Comments Strike Chord After Rams’ Loss
Nacua’s remarks drew a reaction that resonates similarly to those made by Rams outside linebacker Jared Verse. Verse took responsibility, but was “blatantly honest” and suggested the Rams took Darnold and the Seahawks lightly, which rubbed some fans the wrong way.
“I think it was our fault as a defense. Because we’re a younger defense, we have a lot of young dude, we felt like we earned everything. We felt like, ‘Oh, yeah. We got this like sealed.’ Like, all right, boom, we beat the Panthers. Boom. We beat Chicago. We’re like, ‘All right, Seattle next,’ and we all hyped up all week. We like, ‘Yeah, we going to beat them again. We know what we learned from last time,’” Verse said on “The Pivot” podcast on February 6.
“When we start having trouble, early on they throw a big play, everybody just kind of s*** the bed. Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, what do we do now? This isn’t going the way we thought it was going to go. They’re not laying down.’ And when that happened, everybody kind of started freaking out.”
Verse noted that the Rams regained their composure, but that their “young mindset” as a defense led to the faulty belief the rest of the game would be a “cake walk.”
He, Nacua, and the Rams learned a valuable lesson in that game that continues to sting.
Notably, Verse admitted that he hated the Seahawks and that he did not like any of their players. He also picked the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl, basing his decision on the fact that they defeated his Rams.
Seahawks Player Rips Rams’ Puka Nacua Over Super Bowl Comments