Just over a year ago, Puka Nacua was the breakout rookie who shocked the NFL with his record-setting debut season. Today, he’s something else entirely: the most experienced wide receiver in Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams offense — and he’s still getting used to it.
With Cooper Kupp now in Seattle after his surprise release in March, the Rams’ receiver room looks very different. And for Nacua, that change has come with a surprising shift in responsibility.
Los Angeles Rams: ‘Wait, You Want Me to Answer?’ Puka Nacua Steps Into Kupp’s Shoes, Ready or Not
“It’s weird,” Nacua admitted this spring. “They’re asking me questions, and I’m like, ‘Wait, Coach Yarbs [Eric Yarber], do you want me to answer this for real?’ I feel like I still have some of these same questions.”
Nacua, who shattered rookie records for receptions and receiving yards in 2023, spent his first two seasons soaking up Kupp’s veteran wisdom. Now, with Kupp gone and Davante Adams arriving fresh from a whirlwind 2024 that saw him traded and re-signed, Nacua is the closest thing the Rams have to a seasoned voice in McVay’s system.
Wide receivers coach Eric Yarber now leans on Nacua to guide younger players — a role the 24-year-old never expected to inherit so soon. “It’s been good because it’s a teaching moment for me,” he said. “But it definitely feels a little different.”
That sense of transition has extended beyond the locker room and even into the media room — where Nacua made headlines last November for a hilariously candid admission: he didn’t know what division the Rams played in.
“No, if I’m being honest with you guys, somebody told me we’re in the NFC West, so that’s good to know, I guess,” Nacua said at the time, straight-faced. “One day at a time is my mentality.”
Head coach Sean McVay later clarified that Nacua was joking — kind of. “Be like Puka,” McVay said with a laugh. “Just focus on what you can control. And if he thinks we’re in the same division as the Eagles, then let’s just show up and beat them too.”
Despite the unintentional comedy, the moment underscored something real: Nacua has been so locked into his own development and preparation that things like divisional alignments haven’t registered as priorities. And maybe that’s exactly the mindset McVay loves.
Still, leadership is no longer optional. With Kupp gone and the Rams eyeing another playoff push behind Matthew Stafford, Nacua is now the veteran voice in a room that includes Adams, yes — but also younger players looking to him for guidance.
“It definitely is a little bit different,” Nacua said of Kupp’s absence. “The spot he used to sit in is occupied by somebody now. So everyone’s getting used to it.”
So is Puka. Whether he fully embraces the role or simply grows into it by default, the Rams’ evolving identity is already taking shape — and at its heart is a rising star who never expected to be the one everyone else turns to for answers.
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