The Los Angeles Rams offense turned unexpectedly elite last season, thanks in large part to the immediate ascension of rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua. The Rams selected Nacua from BYU in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and while they liked the player, no one could have guessed what he would do in Year 1.
Nacua caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards, setting the all-time rookie record in both categories. He finished ninth in receptions and fourth in yards over the entire NFL and was named to both the NFL All-Rookie team and the All-Pro Second Team.
Now, going into Year 2, Nacua has high expectations placed upon him, but tons of excitement surrounding him as well. And if the hype wasn’t high enough for Nacua’s sophomore campaign, he is now one of four athletes signing a massive endorsement deal with Gatorade, Front Office Sports announced:
Gatorade has signed four new athletes to endorsement deals:
• Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
• Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
• Rams WR Puka Nacua
• Flag Football star Diana Flores pic.twitter.com/l2A3duX4Vi— Front Office Sports (@FOS) September 4, 2024
Gatorade then put out their first commercial involving Nacua:
Nacua joins two bona fide NFL superstars — reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and Minnesota Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson — as the three NFL players leading this campaign. Joining them is flag football superstar Diana Flores, a cool addition by Gatorade.
One of the biggest brands in the sports world has chosen Nacua to be one of the faces of their 2024 campaign, and that is all thanks to the incredible work he did last season. And there is no reason to believe his work isn’t sustainable. He and Matthew Stafford developed an incredible rapport last season and his route running is as clean as anyone’s in the NFL.
Rams fans should have plenty of excitement for what Nacua can bring in his second season, and he now joins some of the league’s best in terms of his marketability.
Puka Nacua not named captain for 2024 season
The Rams’ roster has undergone significant turnover the last couple offseasons as they went from one of the oldest rosters in the league to one of the youngest.
Veteran leaders like Aaron Donald and Ernest Jones are no longer around, which means some young guys will have the opportunity to step up in leadership roles.
That was reflected when the Rams selected their captains for the 2024 season. Every year, the players vote on captains and this year there will be five. Three of them are returning captains in Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Rob Havenstein while the other two are first-timers in Kobie Turner and Quentin Lake.
Puka Nacua was not selected a captain, but he is definitely considered one of the young leaders of the team as well.
