The Los Angeles Rams are 3-2, starting off the year with impressive wins over both the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans, and sit just one game behind the San Francisco 49ers for first place in the NFC West.
This past offseason, the Rams released wide receiver Cooper Kupp and signed six-time pro-bowl wide receiver Davante Adams to help maintain the explosive offense. However, it is not Adams who has been the catalyst for the Rams recent success.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua has started the 2025 season on a tear, leading the league in both receptions and receiving yards.
Nacua has caught 52 passes for 588 receiving yards through the first five weeks of the season, averaging just over 10 receptions and 117 receiving yards per game. His 52 receptions through the first five weeks are the most in NFL history.
With the new 17 game format that was introduced in 2021, Nacua is on pace to end the year with 176 receptions and 1,999 receiving yards. These numbers would break the current record of single-season receptions, 149, held by wide receiver Michael Thomas, as well as receiving yards, 1,964, set by retired Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is no stranger to historic wide receiver seasons.
The first time came when Stafford played for the Detroit Lions. Stafford had an unstoppable machine in Calvin Johnson, whose large frame made him an easy target for Stafford to find. In 2012, Johnson set the single-season receiving yards record, which has yet to be topped.
Fast forward to 2021, Kupp broke out, catching 145 passes for 1,947 yards, leading the league in both categories as well as placing himself second all-time in each single-season category. Kupp also won the triple crown, leading the league in touchdowns with 16, as well as Super Bowl MVP.
Now, Stafford is feeding Nacua at a historic rate that has the potential to surpass both of these legendary seasons.
On Thursday night, Nacua tied Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson as the second fastest player in NFL history to reach 3,000 career receiving yards, as he completed the feat in only 33 games.
Nacua is known for his toughness, encouraging his teammates to slap him hard on the shoulder pads before every game. In his Week 1 matchup versus the Texans, Nacua was taken out of the game early after a scary helmet-to-helmet collision. However, he could not be discouraged, and re-entered the game, ending the day with 10 receptions for 130 receiving yards.
On top of his grit, Nacua is exceptional at exploiting defenses by finding the soft spots in zones. While he can be a deep threat, Nacua typically thrives in medium yard passing gains, averaging 11.3 yards per catch. No matter the coverage or scheme, Nacua always seems to be open.
However, now in his third year, despite his 62 targets and 52 receptions, Nacua is yet to drop a pass.
Nacua and the Rams travel to Baltimore to take on the struggling 1-4 Ravens on Sunday afternoon. The Ravens passing defense has been off to a rough start, with the team allowing 262.4 passing yards per game, the second worst in the entire NFL only behind the Dallas Cowboys. If the Rams exploit this weakness in the Ravens defense, fans can expect to see Nacua at the cause of it and racking up another big week.