National Football League

Rams' surprising start due in large part to 'remarkable' rookie WR Puka Nacua

Updated Sep. 25, 2023 8:46 p.m. ET

The Los Angeles Rams may have lost to the rival San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but they still seem much more like the group that won the Super Bowl in 2021-22 than the weary veteran squad that limped to a 5-12 finish last season.

These Rams, however, do not much resemble that group of big-name veterans that gave coach Sean McVay his first Lombardi trophy nearly two years ago. One of the biggest components to the Rams' success on offense (aside from a resurgent Matthew Stafford) has been Puka Nacua, a rookie wide receiver picked in the fifth round out of BYU in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Nacua set multiple NFL rookie records Sunday. His 15 catches for 147 yards against the fearsome 49ers defense were the most receptions by a rookie in league history. Nacua also became the first rookie to have at least 10 catches and 100 receiving yards in each of his first two games, and his 25 total receptions are the most in NFL history over a rookie's first two games, per FOX Sports research.

NFL on FOX broadcaster Kevin Kugler has been on the call for both Rams games this season — L.A.'s surprising 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 and the Rams' 30-23 loss to the 49ers on Sunday — which means he has been all over Nacua's rise. However, as he told David Helman on the NFL on FOX Podcast, Kugler is even more amazed by who Nacua is off the field.

"He is remarkable," Kugler said. "We met with him last week before the game. He was one of the guys we sat down with and had a long conversation with, and I'll tell you what, he is enjoying every single second of this. He has a constant smile on his face."

Nacua has taken on such a prominent role in the Rams' offense because of the absence of star wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who is nursing a lingering hamstring injury and was placed on injured reserve before the season, meaning he will be out through at least the Rams' first four games.

But few inside the Rams' building are surprised at how effortlessly Nacua has filled such big shoes, especially since he has literally been following Kupp's footsteps since arriving with the team.

"I mean, this kid is something special," Kugler said. "At the beginning of Rams camp — Rams coaches talk about it — the minute he walked in, they went, 'Oh, this guy's the real deal.' And he's done nothing but continue to impress and continue to learn. He's really attached himself to Cooper Kupp … and is really trying to just soak up every bit of information that Cooper Kupp is willing to share."

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Nacua lost his father when he was 11 years old, Kugler said, and was raised from then on by his mother and his brothers. His older brother Kai Nacua became a father figure to him, and became the first Nacua sibling to play in the NFL, spending six seasons in the league before playing for the Michigan Panthers of the USFL in 2023.

"[Puka] thinks about his father during the national anthem," Kugler said. "He looks up to the heavens, his eyes are filled with tears. This is a young man who has so much passion, energy and love for this game. And you can just see it oozing out of every pore. He is incredibly emotional. He's tough."

How tough? According to Kugler, Nacua was battling a rib injury Sunday "that was clearly bothering him," yet still had a record-setting afternoon.

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Nacua's positive energy appears to have spread to a Rams team that was in desperate need of fresh air. McVay nearly resigned his position out of exhaustion at the end of last season, and the contrast between the Rams then and the Rams now is striking to Kugler, who saw the team frequently last year.

"The demeanor of this team was low," Kugler recalled. "I mean, from the head coach on down. This was a team that was beaten down by injury and by [losing]. It was a rough season. Coming into this year, they have Matthew Stafford back but there [are] so many new faces, and I think that has brought an energy to this team that maybe they didn't even expect going into the season. I know Sean McVay is so fired up for this group."

As the Rams gear up for a Super Bowl LVI rematch against the Bengals next week, they will be missing many of the household names that propelled L.A. to a victory over Cincinnati back in Feb. 2022. But with new faces like Nacua in the fold, these Rams may still be plenty dangerous.