Puka Nacua is coming off a season that put him among the NFL's most productive receivers, but The Athletic's Nate Atkins isn't yet ready to guarantee his next contract comes from the Rams.
"I think it's a matter of time until Nacua lands a monstrous extension," Atkins wrote. "I'm not quite at the point of predicting that will come from the Rams, but I know that's definitely everyone's hope."
The production case for paying Nacua is significant, both in 2025 and across his three-year career. Last season, he led the NFL with 129 receptions, finished second in the league with 1,715 receiving yards and caught 10 touchdowns. For his career, Nacua has 313 receptions for 4,191 yards and 19 touchdowns across just 44 games, giving him the fastest path to 300
career catches in NFL history. He's a two-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro from 2025, entering the final guaranteed year of the rookie deal he signed as a fifth-round pick in 2023.
Atkins pointed to the market dynamics working against L.A. as the holdup rather than any question about Nacua's talent.
"It's an interesting situation because the cost on Nacua is likely to rise from here, given how the salary cap and superstar receiver market rises each year," he wrote. "The Rams know if they don't pay Nacua, another team will, regardless of off-the-field concerns."
That market has already moved twice this year. Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba — a member of Nacua's 2023 draft class — signed a four-year, $168.6 million extension in March that averages $42.15 million per year, the richest deal for a receiver in NFL history, with $69.13 million fully guaranteed at signing. Since then, Falcons receiver Drake London landed a four-year, $141 million extension averaging $35.26 million per year, and Ravens receiver Zay Flowers signed a four-year, $140 million deal averaging $35 million per year. Each of those comps gives Nacua's camp a rising floor to point to, even without matching his receptions or yardage totals from a season ago.
That reference to off-field matters comes after a turbulent offseason for Nacua that could even land him a suspension for this season. Atkins suggested the Rams want more certainty before committing to a deal of that size.
"But for such a massive investment, it's worth it to them to become that much more certain that it's the right move for their future and their culture," Atkins wrote. "That's still the hope for everyone, but it's going to take an ongoing pattern that includes handling the pressures of games in-season in such a pressure-packed year."
The Rams have said nothing but positive things about Nacua, and the receiver himself continues to say he only wants to play in L.A. However, most reports indicate an extension won't come in 2026, with the Rams focused on winning a Super Bowl this year. That opens up the possibility he doesn't get a new deal unti lafter the 2026 season or that he gets the franchise tag.
For now, Nacua remains without an extension as the Rams open the 2026 season, with his long-term future in Los Angeles still unresolved.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Analyst questions whether the Rams will even extend WR Puka Nacua
