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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Puka Nacua might be facing more combined pressure than anyone else on the Los Angeles Rams roster heading into 2026.
It's not just because he's the focal point of an offense expected to lead this team to a Super Bowl, but because he's fighting for a new contract and has dealt with real off-the-field issues over the last year.
On the field, there's nothing to dispute. Nacua led the NFL in receptions with 129 and finished second in the league in receiving yards with 1,717 last season, along with 10 touchdowns, tied for the third-most, further cementing himself as one of the best players in football.
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His 4,191 career receiving yards sit second all-time for a player through his first three seasons, behind only Justin Jefferson (4,825). Drafted 177th overall in 2023 out of BYU, he's starting to look like one of the best Day 3 picks the league has ever seen.
But it's everything else that's added pressure to this season.
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A civil lawsuit was filed against Nacua in March alleging assault, battery, and negligence after he was accused of biting two women and making an antisemitic comment during a group dinner on New Year's Eve.
He issued an apology in December and checked himself into a holistic rehab facility in the offseason before returning to the field to participate in Rams' OTAs.
But all of that couldn't have come at a worse time given that he's entering the final year of his rookie contract. A lucrative extension that once looked like a done deal has become increasingly complicated. That off-the-field development has, by multiple reports, cost him some leverage in negotiations.
At this point, the Rams may prefer to wait until after the 2026 season and use the franchise tag rather than sign him now, a strategy that keeps his cap number low but risks paying significantly more down the line as the receiver market continues to climb.
For context, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was part of Nacua's 2023 draft class and only narrowly edged him out last season with 1,793 receiving yards, recently signed a four-year, $168.6 million extension that made him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.
The Rams appear intent on eventually paying Nacua, and he's committed fully to the franchise, recently saying that he plans to stay in LA for a long time. But any slight slip-up in 2026, on or off the field, and the record-setting extension he would have otherwise earned by now may be harder to justify.
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