When the Los Angeles Rams parted ways with Cooper Kupp last offseason, Puka Nacua made it clear that he take on more of a leadership role.
Nacua wasn’t voted one of the Rams captains this past season but he still made an effort to connect with more of his teammates — especially those on defense.
So much so that Nacua reached out to Rams legend Aaron Donald for advice on how he can become a better leader, via DJ Siddiqi of RG:
“He reaches out during the season, especially when I feel like there are some of the things that as a leader, you try to find ways to connect with the team, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” said Nacua of Donald. “He understands that mentality obviously more than I ever could. Trying to find ways to ask about what he did as a leader for the team when he was trying to talk to the offensive side of the ball, and how I can use some of those things to talk to the guys on the opposite side of the ball.”
Donald retired after the 2023 season but still remains involved with the Rams and stops by the team’s training facility at least once per week:
“100%, we see him stop by at least once a week,” said Nacua. “It feels like he’s in there, and then I’m just glad he doesn’t stop by the weight room still.”
Donald was a key leader during his time with the Rams so Nacua picked one of the best players possible to receive advice from.
Nacua is still just 24 years old, but it’s good to see that he’s trying to take the next step in his career from a leadership perspective.
As for his on-field play, Nacua has already established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He is coming off his best season yet, leading the NFL with 129 catches, and finishing second with 1,715 receiving yards while recording 105 rushing yards and scoring 11 total touchdowns.
Puka Nacua motivated to play in Super Bowl
The Rams didn’t accomplish their ultimate goal in 2025, but still had a successful season by many standards.
The team won 11 of their first 14 games and at one point looked like the favorite to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. However, that changed after a devastating loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16, which dropped L.A. in the standings and essentially forced them to make the postseason as a Wild Card team.
The Rams finished with a 12-5 record but had to play all of their postseason games on the road. That is a tough ask, but they still managed to make it all the way to the NFC Championship Game before coming up just short in another loss to the Seahawks that ended their season.
Nacua reflected on the 2025 season and is using it as motivation to help the team get to the Super Bowl next year.