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USA Today
26-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What could have been: Tennessee Titans called Puka Nacua on draft day in 2023
What could have been: Tennessee Titans called Puka Nacua on draft day in 2023 This time of year is always good for some what-ifs when looking back at past drafts and thinking about what could have been if a different franchise took a player. Would their careers have been different? Would the team have been different? Has that impact carried over into this upcoming draft? Most of the time it is a hypothetical situation. No one other than those in the room knows exactly how the draft board is stacked and truly which prospects the teams are interested in. Occasionally, though, a situation arises where players talk about conversations they had over draft weekend with organizations and it offers a real "what if" scenario. This recently happened on the "Join the Lobby" podcast, where Pro Bowl receiver Puka Nacua sat down and mentioned a conversation with the Tennessee Titans on Day 3 of the draft. 'Saturday happens, which is the last day, and the Titans call me like first thing in the morning. I mean, I wake up and Titans,' he said. 'Titans say, we have a pick today. Be on the lookout and have your phone ready.' Of course, that call never came, and he was eventually selected by the Los Angeles Rams. He went on to have a record-breaking rookie season. At the time, the Titans had just signed DeAndre Hopkins, and Treylon Burks was still an unknown commodity, and the team appeared to be set at the receiver position. Plus, not many saw Nacua exploding onto the scene like he did with the Rams. So, passing on him in the fifth round for tight end Josh Whyle did make some sense. So, what if the Titans selected him? While no one knows for sure whether he would have had the same success he did with the Rams, it is quite possible that the Titans would not have a hole at the wide receiver position heading into this draft. With the draft a month away and the Titans holding the No. 1 pick, it is already a foregone conclusion that there will be plenty of options to play the what-if game with in the coming years.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Puka Nacua plans to hang up his cleats like Aaron Donald: 'I want to retire at the age of 30'
Puka Nacua already knows when he wants to retire. It's not anytime soon, but it's probably a lot sooner than Rams fans might want to think about right now. Asked during a recent podcast appearance how he might know when it's time to hang up his cleats, the 23-year-old star receiver did not hesitate in giving an answer. 'I know I want to retire at the age of 30," Nacua said on an episode of "Join the Lobby" that went live Saturday. That's either six or seven seasons away, depending on when during the start of his fourth decade Nacua (born May 29, 2001) decides to call it a career. Read more: Plaschke: Retiring Aaron Donald didn't just lead the Rams, he was the Rams Nacua cited former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as his inspiration. Donald was a three-time defensive player of the year and made the Pro Bowl in all 10 of his NFL seasons before retiring last offseason at age 32. "I think of Aaron Donald," Nacua said. "To go out at the top, I think it would be super cool." But Nacua said he has at least five other reasons. "I want to have a big family," said Nacua, who is the second-youngest sibling in a family with four brothers and a sister. "I want to have at least a starting five. I came from a big family, so I need five boys. I want to be able to be a part of their lives and be as active as I can with them." Selected by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, Nacua was an instant sensation, setting NFL rookie records for total receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486) and earning a Pro Bowl berth. Last year, he was hampered by a right knee sprain that caused him to miss five games early in the season. Read more: Matthew Stafford excited about Rams signing Davante Adams: 'A big addition to our team' Nacua said he only wants to risk sustaining a major injury for so long before devoting his time to fatherhood and a post-football career that will possibly involve real estate and owning restaurants. "The injuries are something you can't control [as] part of the game, so you never know," he said. "Hopefully, the rest of the career can go healthy, but you have shoulder surgery, you have knee surgery, you have ankle [issues]. By the time my kids could be 18, I could be barely walking if you play the game and sustain all the injuries and stuff like that." Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Puka Nacua plans to hang up his cleats like Aaron Donald: ‘I want to retire at the age of 30'
Puka Nacua already knows when he wants to retire. It's not anytime soon, but it's probably a lot sooner than Rams fans might want to think about right now. Asked during a recent podcast appearance how he might know when it's time to hang up his cleats, the 23-year-old star receiver did not hesitate in giving an answer. 'I know I want to retire at the age of 30,' Nacua said on an episode of 'Join the Lobby' that went live Saturday. That's either six or seven seasons away, depending on when during the start of his fourth decade Nacua (born May 29, 2001) decides to call it a career. Nacua cited former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as his inspiration. Donald was a three-time defensive player of the year and made the Pro Bowl in all 10 of his NFL seasons before retiring last offseason at age 32. 'I think of Aaron Donald,' Nacua said. 'To go out at the top, I think it would be super cool.' But Nacua said he has at least five other reasons. 'I want to have a big family,' said Nacua, who is the second-youngest sibling in a family with four brothers and a sister. 'I want to have at least a starting five. I came from a big family, so I need five boys. I want to be able to be a part of their lives and be as active as I can with them.' Selected by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, Nacua was an instant sensation, setting NFL rookie records for total receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486) and earning a Pro Bowl berth. Last year, he was hampered by a right knee sprain that caused him to miss five games early in the season. Nacua said he only wants to risk sustaining a major injury for so long before devoting his time to fatherhood and a post-football career that will possibly involve real estate and owning restaurants. 'The injuries are something you can't control [as] part of the game, so you never know,' he said. 'Hopefully, the rest of the career can go healthy, but you have shoulder surgery, you have knee surgery, you have ankle [issues]. By the time my kids could be 18, I could be barely walking if you play the game and sustain all the injuries and stuff like that.'
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rams WR Puka Nacua discusses retirement: 'I want to retire at the age of 30'
Puka Nacua just completed his second NFL season, but the Los Angeles Rams receiver has already identified a natural endpoint for his career. "I know I want to retire at the age of 30," Nacua said in an appearance on the "Join the Lobby" podcast. Nacua is 23 years old, which would put him on track to play about seven more seasons. It would also allow him to follow in the footsteps of his teammate Aaron Donald and head for an early retirement. "I think of Aaron Donald – to go out at the top, I think it would be super cool," Nacua said. NFL MOCK DRAFT 2025: Giants, Steelers take QBs in first round amid Aaron Rodgers saga Nacua also noted his desire to retire early stems from his aspiration to have a big family. He said he wants to have at least "a starting five" – "I need five boys for sure," he said – after growing up as one of six siblings. "I want to be able to be a part of their lives and be as active as I can with them," Nacua said, referencing his future children. Nacua acknowledged that injuries "are something you can't control" but communicated that retiring at 30 would at least mitigate some of the injury risk. "Hopefully, the rest of the career can go healthy, but you have shoulder surgery, you have knee surgery, you have ankle. By the time my kids could be 18, I could be barely walking if you play the game and sustain all the injuries and stuff like that," Nacua said. "But I want to retire early." NFL FREE AGENCY GRADES: Do Cowboys, 49ers, Falcons warrant getting an F? What would Nacua do after retiring? The 23-year-old is planning to get into real estate and will explore that avenue before his NFL career ends. Nacua set the NFL's all-time rookie receiving record in 2023 when he caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. He had 79 catches for 990 yards and three touchdowns across 11 games during the 2024 NFL season. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rams WR Puka Nacua: 'I want to retire at the age of 30'
USA Today
25-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rams WR Puka Nacua discusses retirement: 'I want to retire at the age of 30'
Rams WR Puka Nacua discusses retirement: 'I want to retire at the age of 30' Show Caption Hide Caption Puka Nacua speaks to LA Rams resiliency in the playoffs, Cooper Kupp's influence Puka Nacua talks about his career with the LA Rams, as well as his partnership with Pepsi. Puka Nacua just completed his second NFL season, but the Los Angeles Rams receiver has already identified a natural endpoint for his career. "I know I want to retire at the age of 30," Nacua said in an appearance on the "Join the Lobby" podcast. Nacua is 23 years old, which would put him on track to play about seven more seasons. It would also allow him to follow in the footsteps of his teammate Aaron Donald and head for an early retirement. "I think of Aaron Donald – to go out at the top, I think it would be super cool," Nacua said. NFL MOCK DRAFT 2025: Giants, Steelers take QBs in first round amid Aaron Rodgers saga Nacua also noted his desire to retire early stems from his aspiration to have a big family. He said he wants to have at least "a starting five" – "I need five boys for sure," he said – after growing up as one of six siblings. "I want to be able to be a part of their lives and be as active as I can with them," Nacua said, referencing his future children. Nacua acknowledged that injuries "are something you can't control" but communicated that retiring at 30 would at least mitigate some of the injury risk. "Hopefully, the rest of the career can go healthy, but you have shoulder surgery, you have knee surgery, you have ankle. By the time my kids could be 18, I could be barely walking if you play the game and sustain all the injuries and stuff like that," Nacua said. "But I want to retire early." NFL FREE AGENCY GRADES: Do Cowboys, 49ers, Falcons warrant getting an F? What would Nacua do after retiring? The 23-year-old is planning to get into real estate and will explore that avenue before his NFL career ends. Nacua set the NFL's all-time rookie receiving record in 2023 when he caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. He had 79 catches for 990 yards and three touchdowns across 11 games during the 2024 NFL season.
