Puka Nacua finished with 165 receiving yards against the Seattle Seahawks, but it was not enough to prevent a loss in the NFC Championship Game, something he addressed after the game while apologizing to the Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford.
After the game, Nacua was candid about his mistakes. Arash Markazi shared video of the wide receiver’s comments on X: “We had our opportunities in the red zone and I just wasn’t on the same page as Matthew. Just the opportunities that I missed,” said Nacua, who did score a touchdown against the Seahawks.
Despite posting a strong stat line with nine receptions, Nacua remained humble after the loss and apologized to his teammates. “Those moments flash by in your head and I apologize to the defense for putting them in those situations,” he said.
Nacua’s second-best playoff game
Even while admitting he was not fully in sync with Stafford, Nacua’s performance in the NFC Championship Game against the Seahawks marked the second-best playoff game of his career in terms of receiving yards. His top outing remains the Jan. 14, 2024 game against the Lions, when he recorded 181 receiving yards on nine catches with one touchdown.
The 165-yard performance against Seattle surpassed his 111 receiving yards against the Panthers on Jan. 10, 2026. In that game at Carolina, Nacua caught 10 passes, which remains the highest reception total of his playoff career.
Nacua has one year remaining on his contract with the Rams for next season, with an estimated salary of $5.8 million, according to Spotrac. A significant contract extension is expected after he posted more than 2,000 receiving yards in a single season, including the playoffs, a feat previously accomplished by Cooper Kupp.
“For the Los Angeles Rams, Puka Nacua coming off a breakout season, another one, 1,700 yards, due for a massive contract extension that could make him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL,” Ian Rapoport said on Jan. 25 on NFL GameDay.