Rams worried about Puka Nacua not representing the team right

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 9: Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay interacts with Puka Nacua #12 during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images) | Getty Images It’s rare for a team to land any player in the draft who ends up being as good as Puka Nacua, let alone in the fifth round, but to what extent must that team go to reward the player if he’s not doing enough to protect the team? Sean McVay told the media this week that he wants Nacua to be on the Rams for a “really long time”, but also expressed some level of disappointment with regards to the off-field headlines dating back to last year and that it’s going to take more than stats to earn a long-term contract in L.

A.. After the Seahawks set a bar of $42 million per season for Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the NFL’s highest paid receiver, Nacua the player would have a really strong argument to make at least $43 million. However, McVay isn’t sold that being a great player is enough and told the media that when it comes to an extension, those decisions are “not exclusive to just the production on the field.

” Sean McVay said he's hopeful Puka Nacua is "a Ram for a really long time," but said he and Nacua have had discussions about the "responsibility" of representing the organization "not exclusive to just the production on the field. ” — Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) March 30, 2026 McVay added that he’s had to talk to Nacua this year about being responsible and to think about how he’s representing the Rams organization, but also that he trusts Nacua is a good human being and he’s not going to rush to judgment: “You guys know, I trust this kid’s heart,” McVay said at the annual league meeting . “Love him, put your arm around him, want to continue to help him grow.

And, really, get all the appropriate facts before I rush to judgment on that particular situation. But I will say, knowing this guy for three years, is I do trust his heart. I trust the human being.