During his three-year career, Rams receiver Puka Nacua has been fined only once for actions on the field — fighting, in November 2024. Last week, he drew a fine (reportedly, $25,000) for something that happened off the field: His criticism of officials.
“That one, it definitely hurt,” Nacua told reporters on Friday, in his first media availability since the fine was imposed. “I think it was something I was expecting. It was a learning moment and an experience to learn from and to never let happen again. There are going to be moments of frustration later on in my career whether it’s ups and downs on my personal half or on the team’s half so being able to manage those emotions and send that energy in the right direction.”
The days preceding the Week 16 overtime classic against the Seahawks had things suddenly going in the wrong direction for Nacua, based on his livestream appearance that initially made waves for Nacua saying “the refs are the worst” (and more) and that quickly focused on the hosts goading Nacua into a potential touchdown celebration that included an antisemitic gesture. The non-stop news geyser that is the NFL (thanks in large part to the misadventures of DK Metcalf) allowed the page to quickly be turned.
Nacua was asked if he was happy to be moving on from what was a strange blip on the radar screen of his career.
“A hundred percent,” Nacua said. “Christmas. I’m glad there was something like a big thing going on, something that would push everything to the previous week. It’s been nice to enjoy, celebrate, rejoice and then get ready for what’s ahead of us.”
There’s still a lesson to be learned from all of it, one that has gotten the attention of multiple teams. While Nacua said what he said about the officiating largely unprompted, the hosts set him up as to the other complication. That’s one of the basic risks of associating with media (or “media”) that have no accountability to anyone, and that actually can benefit from the controversies created by getting a player to say or do something that sparks scrutiny, attention, and ultimately engagement.
None of it affected Nacua on the field; he had a career-high 225 receiving yards against Seattle. With back-to-back games that were the best of his career so far, it’s just a matter of time before Nacua gets a contract that will make the $25,000 fine seem like less than pocket change.
