After being selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the April draft, rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua outlined his clear goals. His main concerns were about finding his place on the squad, maybe contributing on special teams, and blocking well enough to earn playing time.
Nacua was not thinking about rookie receiving records, nor was he obsessing about his own yardage totals for the season. But he’s already in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year after his latest effort against the New Orleans Saints (30-22), in which he totaled nine catches for 164 yards and a score. Despite this, he admits that he is underappreciated in comparison to C.J. Stroud, the outstanding quarterback for the Houston Texans and clear favorite to win the award.
Nacua has to gain 147 receiving yards in the Rams’ next two games to tie the NFL record for the most receiving yards by a rookie. Rams coach Sean McVay acknowledged Stroud’s outstanding season but said Nacua would receive his vote because of his special abilities and commitment to being a fantastic teammate.
With 96 receptions for 1,327 yards and five touchdowns, Nacua has had an outstanding season. He has also had six games with at least 100 receiving yards. Stroud, on the other hand, is sixth among all quarterbacks in yardage this season with a completion percentage of 62.4%, 3,631 yards, and 20 touchdowns in 13 games. Stroud missed Week 15 and is presently following the concussion protocol.
Notably, Nacua recorded 150 receiving yards in his third game on Thursday, becoming just the sixth player in NFL history to accomplish it in his first 15 games of play. In 1960, Bill Groman—who now holds the rookie record for receiving yards—achieved this four times.
When asked about his candidacy for Offensive Rookie of the Year, despite his individual success, Nacua quickly shifted the focus to the importance of the team’s performance. He highlighted how much he had enjoyed playing in every football game since coming back from the bye week and he embraced Coach McVay’s playoff mentality. Nacua said he was enjoying adjusting to this longer season, even if it was new for him to play well into December.