The wide receiver market has been completely reset. Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed a four-year, $168.6 million extension with the Seahawks, and the pressure is now on the Rams to respond.

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Rams intend to address Puka Nacua’s extension this summer. However, Smith-Njigba’s massive deal has officially set the floor for Nacua’s next contract.

Puka Nacua vs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba by the numbers

Following an outstanding season that ended in a Super Bowl victory, the Seahawks knew they had to secure JSN with a long-term deal. This move directly impacts the Rams, as Puka Nacua has produced elite numbers remarkably similar to the Seattle star.

Both Nacua and Smith-Njigba have been in the league for three seasons. Statistically, the Rams’ playmaker actually leads in several categories, recording more receptions (313 vs. 282), more receiving yards (4,191 vs. 3,551), and more touchdowns (21 vs. 20).

The primary difference between the two lies in their recent accolades. While both are two-time Pro Bowlers and one-time All-Pros, Smith-Njigba has the edge with a Super Bowl ring and the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year award—honors Nacua has yet to secure.

Will Puka Nacua’s deal surpass Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s?

With the bar now set at $42.15 million per year by Smith-Njigba, fans are debating Nacua’s true market value. Does his superior statistical output earn him more than JSN?

According to projections from Spotrac, Nacua is expected to sign a deal worth approximately $38.7 million per year. If he signs at that price point, he would become the third highest-paid wide receiver in the league, trailing only JSN and Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ernest Jones IV, who is now a two-time Super Bowl winner, took notice that Rams wideout Puka Nacua tweeted “Sam Darnold” followed by laughing emojis late in the Super Bowl. Jones didn’t like this and retaliated after the game quoting Nacua’s post with a “Ain’t you at home. Goofy a–.“

It’s not the first time Jones comes out to defend Darnold. After Darnold threw four picks in Week 11 against the Rams, Jones took time to defend the now-Super Bowl-winning quarterback. “Sam’s been balling,” Jones said. “If we want to try to define Sam by this game, Sam’s had us in every f—— game. So for him to sit there and say, ‘That’s my fault,’ no it’s not… He’s our quarterback. We’ve got his back, and if you’ve got anything to say, quite frankly, f— you.”

Jones himself had a great Super Bowl LX outing

The fact is Ernest Jones balled out against the Patriots and he didn’t even know. Jones appeared on ESPN postgame, and when the broadcast told him he had 11 tackles, his reaction was priceless, as you can see below.

Johnson played all defensive snaps, and he was fantastic all game. However, this spans throughout the year. Jones led the team with 125 total tackles and also had five interceptions, which puts him second-best in the NFL despite him being a linebacker. Not only that, but he led the NFL in interceptions yards with 150.

Jones is feuding with a former teammate of his

Puka Nacua and Ernest Jones actually played with each other. Jones earned his first Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021 and played with Nacua in the 2023 season. Nacua led the team in receiving yards and Jones led the Rams in tackles that season. However, it seems like they are not in great terms now.

Jones ultimately had the last laugh in this feud. He won a Super Bowl before Nacua got to the Rams, then he left and went on to eliminate Nacua this year to eventually win the Super Bowl again.

The Rams featured two elite wide receivers in Nacua and Adams. The pairing proved nearly unstoppable during the 2025–26 campaign, giving Los Angeles one of the most productive passing attacks in the league. Once the season ended, Nacua opened up about what it meant to share the field with the veteran.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Nacua described Adams’ skill set in almost mythical terms. The 24-year-old said his first practices with the 12-year veteran forced him to realize how much higher the standard truly was. Watching Adams work, he understood improvement was mandatory.

“We were in April, and I’m standing on the 40 yard line,” Nacua said. “I’m right behind No. 17. He is running a stop route. The ground is shaking as he stops. He is 20 yards away from me. Then boom, boom, boom, transition, out of the break, three steps, technique, sound, crisp. And it is April, and I am like, I gotta be better. I got so much to work on.”

The fantastic duo of Nacua and Adams

The Rams’ receiver tandem was arguably the best in the league, and they helped quarterback Matthew Stafford capture his first MVP award. Nacua finished the regular season with 129 receptions, a league high 1,715 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Adams, at 33, added 60 catches for 789 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns.

Los Angeles was positioned to bring both wideouts back again. Nacua became eligible for a contract extension, and many around the league expected a significant deal to come together. Adams, meanwhile, is prepared to enter the second season of his two-year, $44 million agreement with the Rams.

Beyond that, the Rams also received clarity about Stafford’s future. During the ceremony in which he was officially recognized as the 2025 NFL MVP, the veteran confirmed he would return for an 18th season. His announcement quieted any retirement speculation and kept Los Angeles’ championship window firmly open.

Les Snead is one of the best general managers in the NFL. Hence, amid all the retirement rumors of Matthew Stafford, Snead is also focusing on extending All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua. “It seems like, ‘OK, that’s a pretty simple contract because it’s pretty self-explanatory.. But there’s also so many variables… that go into that, that make it more complex than it would seem on the surface level… You’ve got to begin communication and begin working through it to come up with a win-win solution.”

Nacua was a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. During his three years, he has 4,191 yards and led the NFL in receptions this season. He also led the NFL in yards per game with 107.2 and scored 10 touchdowns.

Nacua became one of the most unstoppable forces in the NFL

Building a huge chemistry with Matthew Stafford, Nacua is arguably the quarterback’s best friend. His routes are super crisp, his hands are too safe, and his toughness and ability to get yards after catch are too good to ignore.

Stafford had a 127.3 rating when he threw in Nacua’s direction. If Nacua is not on the Rams, the team’s stocks will crash. Hence, it’s good to see Snead is already working on closing a deal with Nacua.

Rams are coming back with a vengeance in 2026

Head coach Sean McVay spoke about Stafford’s future. The hope is the team can bring back most of the core to challenge for the Super Bowl once again. They lost the NFC Championship Game to the Seahawks, and that was a big blow for the team.

However, the Rams lost their offensive coordinator. On the other hand, it seems like they will be able to retain defensive coordinator Chris Shula. They lost the one they could afford to lose, as McVay is the playcaller of the team and he takes command on offense. That is a positive for the Rams coming into the 2026 season.

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.

After showing his frustration over what happened at Lumen Field, Nacua was outspoken on social media, prompting the NFL to take action against the LA Rams star. After accepting the fine, the wide receiver broke his silence on the matter.

“That one, it definitely hurt,” Nacua told reporters, 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.”

Nacua’s frustration

Following the Rams‘ tough overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on December 18th, Puka Nacua sparked controversy by openly criticizing the officiating. In a since-deleted post on X, Nacua sarcastically thanked the “stripes” for their “contribution” to the game, later admitting his comments stemmed from frustration over a controversial two-point conversion reversal and inconsistent calls.

These remarks, combined with a prior livestream where he called referees “the worst” and suggested they make calls just to get “camera time,” resulted in a $25,000 fine from the NFL.

Puka Nacua takes a leading role in the offense

With Davante Adams likely sidelined for the remainder of the regular season due to injury, the Rams’ offense will rely even more heavily on Puka Nacua to carry the passing game. While this provides bad news for Matthew Stafford as he loses his top veteran target, it forces Nacua into a clear primary role where his playmaking ability will be the deciding factor in the team’s playoff push.

According to Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com, the NFL fined Puka Nacua a total of $25,000 for his comments on the officiating. This was also reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Nacua made multiple comments about the referees.

First, Nacua appeared on a livestream with influencers Adin Ross and N3on. He said the NFL officials were “the worst” and also said, “These guys want to be … these guys are lawyers. They want to be on TV too,” Nacua said. “You don’t think he’s texting his friends in the group chat like, ‘Yo, you guys just saw me on Sunday Night Football. That wasn’t P.I., but I called it.‘” Then after the game, he tweeted another critic and soon thereafter deleted it.

Nacua is incredible on the field, but he’s a problem outside of it

Puka Nacua has made it an argument to be the best wide receiver in football. Just against the Seahawks alone, Nacua had 12 catches for 225 yards and two touchdowns. He has undoubtedly become the best wideout in football.

Outside of the football field, it was a bad week for Nacua filled with controversies during the livestream, and now the fine. After the post, reporters told head coach Sean McVay about it and he was not happy. “I love him, we’re going to continue to put our arm around him and help him learn and grow, but we never want to do things that ever offend anybody, and I know he feels that same way.” While he defended him, he was visibly frustrated.

The Rams are glad Nacua isn’t suspended though

It’s a heavy fine, but the Rams will count on Nacua for the next game. Nacua is the best weapon in the NFL and his chemistry with Matthew Stafford is immaculate. Puka is putting historic numbers during his young career.

Nacua leads the NFL in catches with 114 and in first downs received with 73. He also leads the NFL in yards per game with 113.7. In fact, Nacua is so great, that he has the best all-time record in yards per game with 96.9.

The star wide receiver posted a message on X about the referees that was deleted minutes later. “Can you say I was wrong. Appreciate you stripes for your contribution. Lol.”

Matthew Stafford and Puka had an amazing night, but it was not enough. During the postgame press conference, Nacua clarified what happened. “Just a moment of frustration after a tough and intense game like that. Just think of the opportunities that I could have done better, take it out of their hands. It was just a moment of frustration.”

What happened with Puka Nacua?

Puka Nacua had previously criticized NFL referees during the week, saying that with their calls they wanted to be on television. Now, after a controversial backward pass by Sam Darnold on a two-point conversion, the wide receiver once again took a shot at the officiating crew.

Puka Nacua could be punished or suspended

Puka Nacua could be fined or suspended because, in recent days, he has taken several actions that could violate the NFL’s conduct policy. The player had a controversial episode on a livestream and has now committed another mistake on X.

“Just the opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of. Some of the moments that we put in the officials hands. The two-point extra plays. Just felt like we could have executed to not put ourselves in those situations. I know that’s something we’ll improve on.”

During his team’s most recent outing — a win at M&T Bank Stadium over the Ravens — Nacua was unable to finish the game due to an ankle injury, casting doubt over the wide receiver’s immediate future.

Unfortunately for Sean McVay, and according to a report from Adam Schefter on his official X account, Puka Nacua has been officially ruled out for the matchup against the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium — a significant blow to the Rams’ offense and quarterback Matthew Stafford.

“Rams ruled out WR Puka Nacua, who has an ankle injury, for Sunday’s game in London versus the Jaguars,” the insider reported via @AdamSchefter. It’s undoubtedly a tough blow for a team that simply can’t afford to miss the opportunity to climb to the top of their division this weekend.

McVay’s optimism

There’s no question that Nacua’s absence is a major setback for a Rams offense with, at the very least, serious playoff aspirations. Yet, rather than express concern, head coach Sean McVay shared a sense of optimism regarding the possibility of having his top wide receiver back in the near future.

“He’s making good progress. I am very optimistic about hopefully having him ready after the bye. I think it’ll serve him well and I have confidence in our other receivers to be able to step up,” the HC said via @AdamSchefter.

It’s also worth noting that after their game against the Jaguars, the Rams will get a much-needed break with a Week 8 bye — a timely pause at a critical point in the season. They’ll return to action in Week 9, hosting the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium on November 2.

A crucial clash in London

The Los Angeles Rams’ clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars in London this Sunday is a pivotal mid-season test for a team aiming for a fast start. Both teams enter the international matchup with identical 4-2 records, making this more than just a novelty game—it’s a critical contest for NFC momentum.

A win secures a fifth victory before their upcoming bye week, offering the Rams a massive boost and crucial breathing room in the NFC playoff picture. However, they must contend with the absence of injured star wide receiver Puka Nacua against a tough Jaguars squad.

Puka Nacua injured his ankle during a redzone play in the Los Angeles Rams game vs. Baltimore Ravens. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported he is questionable to return. He is undoubtedly the best receiver on the roster, but if he isn’t available, who is Matthew Stafford going to throw to?

The immediate second-best option is Davante Adams, followed by Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith and Konata Mumpfield. Tutu Atwell is also injured so he isn’t playing.

While Adams is an incredible player, Nacua is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. However, Adams has been a wide receiver one for 90% of his career so he will easily take the workload. Having said that, much of the Rams’ playbook revolves around Nacua.

How has Adams played with the Rams so far?

In five games so far, Adams has been a weapon, especially used in the red zone. He has three touchdowns already, catching 22 passes for 357 yards. Now, his catching percentage is one of the lowest in his career, so it’s clear he still has some work to do with Matthew Stafford to be and stay on the same page.

Adams has similarities to Nacua. He is also a very good route runner, and has a great release. He is 33 years old so he isn’t as speedy as he once was, but he is still good enough to produce.

The Rams are having troubles

The Ravens are one of the worst defenses in the NFL, yet the Rams, who had a long week to prepare, have been defficient on offense. Nacua’s injury just makes it worse, but there is no justification for not being able to move the chains against one of the absolute worst units in football.

Stafford and McVay should be talented enough to solve any roadblocks. However, it would expose the Rams as hugely Puka Nacua-dependents if they aren’t able to overcome the wideout’s injury against the Ravens.

While many might have seen the arrival of the former Jets and Packers star as a threat to his position, Nacua, on the contrary, sees it as a unique opportunity to learn as much as possible from one of the league’s best.

In a recent conversation with the press, the former BYU player discussed Davante Adams’ arrival to the team and how much he hopes to learn from him in this new phase of his career.

“It’s definitely gonna be different,” Nacua told The Insiders. “Davante, as soon as he stepped into the facility, has been fantastic. The ability to learn from another all-time great — I feel like I’m stealing. I’m like a kid in the candy store.”

He also added: “I’ve had Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay, Cooper Kupp, and now Davante Adams. My life is pretty good, I can’t complain too much. It’s gonna be fun.”

Adams creates a stir in the Rams

The revolution sparked by Davante Adams since his arrival in Inglewood has not only excited his teammates but also the coaching staff, who will have the privilege of leading him.

Eric Yarber, the wide receivers coach, spoke to the press in recent days and discussed what lies ahead, emphasizing the value that Adams can bring to the younger players on the roster.

“He’s all that was advertised, everything I thought he was and what the coaches thought he was, he is,” he told theRams.com. “He’s been a great leader in that room, mentoring the younger guys, being vulnerable, telling them about his struggles early on, helping them out however he can.”

The challenge of being contenders

The Rams want to remain in the mix as potential contenders this upcoming season, and to do so, they’ll need to overcome these early challenges in a positive way if they hope to succeed.

• vs Houston Texans, September 7th
• @ Tennessee Titans, September 14th – Nissan Stadium
• @ Philadelphia Eagles, September 21st – Lincoln Financial Field
• vs Indianapolis Colts, September 28th
• vs San Francisco 49ers, October 2nd