Puka Nacua is one step closer to market-setting Rams extension

The Los Angeles Rams are well aware that if they want to keep Puka Nacua for the long haul after Matthew Stafford calls it a career, they will need to hand him a contract that will, in all likelihood, make him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history.

Nacua has hired WIN Sports Group to represent him in ongoing negotiations with the Rams. WIN may have been the biggest winner, so to speak, of the 2026 offseason. The agency helped Seattle Seahawks star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba earn a record-setting four-year, $168.4 million extension, while the Ravens' Zay Flowers got an above-market $35 million per-year deal.

Smith-Njigba's contract was eye-popping when it first hit the market, but Nacua is in line to top that deal. Hiring JSN's agency could signal that Nacua will not accept any sort of deal that doesn't put him right alongside Seattle's superstar.

Puka Nacua won't take hometown discount from Rams

Nacua led the league with 129 catches last season, amassing 1,710 yards and 10 touchdowns. His career average of 95.3 yards ranks as the best mark in NFL history. Nacua's production is historic, and that's worth paying through the nose to retain long-term.

The only reasons not to pay him are a salary crunch and his off-field nonsense. The latter is a big reason why this is not a complete slam dunk. In the end, though, that may not be enough for the Rams to consider parting with someone of his caliber.

The Rams are all-in on a championship in the immediate future, which means bringing in a boatload of veterans with some big financial requirements. There is such a thing as life after Stafford, however, and extending Nacua would give No. 13 overall pick Ty Simpson one of the NFL's best weapons during his developmental years.

Nacua might make it tougher for the Rams to continue chasing big names, especially when Myles Garrett's hefty contract teams up with Nacua's to eat up a good chunk of available cap space. But few players in the league have the talent to warrant such an investment, and Nacua ranks among that crew.

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