The competitive landscape of the NFL world is not just about scoring touchdowns, passing yards, or making spectacular catches. It is sometimes about winning the hearts of sports enthusiasts, and Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua is doing just that with his magnificent performances on the field.
Nacua has wasted no time in making a significant impact on the Rams squad after his draft and has already become a fan-favorite athlete in Los Angeles. His incredible athleticism is not just lighting up the scoreboard, but it is also making waves in the merchandise department of the NFL shop.
Puka Nacua jerseys sold out on the NFL shop
After getting selected by the LA Rams in the fifth round with the 177th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Nacua was marked as the 20th wide receiver this year and the third selected in the fifth round. However, having seen 19 other WRs in the draft, the young star didn’t get demotivated, instead, his determination and raw talent quickly caught the attention of coaches and fans alike.
The former BYU standout’s recent phenomenal performance on the field has set the NFL shop on fire with action as the Rams fans clamor to get their hands on his merchandise. His No.17 jersey has been completely sold out on the league’s online shop, further cementing his status as a rising star in the football world.
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Puka Nacua jerseys are COMPLETELY SOLD OUT on the #NFL shop.
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 3, 2023
There were 19 other WRs drafted ahead of Puka Nacua, but that hasn’t stopped him from emerging as one of the best WRs in the NFL this year.
He’s quickly becoming a fan favorite.
(📷: @NFLonFOX)… pic.twitter.com/LhgeiNdNte
Throughout his four NFL games till now, the 22-year-old star has recorded a league-high 39 catches for 501 yards, marking him the first rookie ever to reach this mark within this short tenure of the regular season. With these spectacular stats, he has the possibility of winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year title this year.
Nacua blames himself for Matthew Stafford’s injury
In the week 4 game of the Rams vs. the Indianapolis Colts, Nacua caught the game-winning score from his quarterback Matthew Stafford to secure a 29-23 victory over their opponent.
PUKA’S FIRST CAREER TD COULDN’T HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME. pic.twitter.com/4uHlHhY3pI
— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2023
However, the Rams signal-caller injured his hip during Sunday’s overtime game when Puka missed a block on Dayo Odeyingbo who then flattened the signal-caller, leading to his unfortunate hip injury. While giving a phone interview to Mike Florio of Pro Football Network, Nacua took all the blame for his QB’s injury.
“I take that one personally because the play he got injured on was my fault. It was an error on my side. My alignment was too wide and they ended up shooting up the gap and ended up hitting him.”
Stafford completed 27 of his 40 passes for 319 yards, and as for now, there is nothing to worry about Stafford’s injury, as he is expected to resume play in the next games. The Rams head coach Sean McVay said he doesn’t think the dual-threat will miss any fixture but added that they would be smart with their franchise QB.
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