Wide receiver Puka Nacua is off to an incredible start for the Los Angeles Rams this season.
Nacua leads the league with 588 receiving yards and the most receptions with 52 and has been a threat in the running game, rushing for 52 yards and a touchdown.
“If you’re a defense and you’re going up against him, but you’ve got to defend all the blades of grass,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said of Nacua, via Rams Wire.
“Are we going to hand it to him? Are we going to throw it to him? Is he going to lead block for us in a run play or is he going to slip out into the flat, catch it and run for another 15? I think it’s his versatility, his ability to affect the game in a number of different ways and help our team.”
One NFL writer believes it puts the player in a prime position to win an award, given the impressive performance of Puka.
Puka Nacua Named MVP Candidate
GettyLos Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua.
Puka Nacua had a hot first four games of the season in which he hauled in over 500 receiving yards. In the Week 5 match-up, Puka had his worst game of the season so far with 85 receiving yards.
Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano names the Rams’ wide receiver as the third top MVP candidate after five weeks in the 2025 season so far.
“I’ll address Matthew Stafford’s absence here. He’s certainly playing like an MVP, but history tells us that whenever there are two candidates on the same team, one tends to get pushed more than the other. As for another downside, it usually hurts both candidates because they’re splitting votes,” Manzano wrote.
“But I’m sure Stafford would gladly rave about how vital Nacua has been to the Rams, especially this season. Last week, it was easy to see how much the [San Francisco] 49ers’ defense paid attention to Nacua, allowing Stafford to take advantage of the beneficial matchups for the other guys. It’s somewhat of an insult to refer to Davante Adams as one of the other guys, but he, too, has benefited from Nacua’s dominance to start the season. ”
If Nacua were to win the MVP, he would be the first non-quarterback player to win the award since the 2012-13 season, when running back Adrian Peterson won the award.
On Track For Historic Achievement
GettyRams QB Matthew Stafford and WR Puka Nacua
In Adrian Peterson’s MVP season, he rushed for over 2,000 yards while recording 12 TDs.
For Puka Nacua to win the most valuable player award, he would need to haul in 2,000 receiving yards, something he is on track to do.
Matthew Stafford has been the quarterback behind the two most receiving yards in a season by Calvin Johnson and Cooper Kupp.
Puka recorded 1,486 yards as the second wide receiver in his rookie season. Now, as WR1, Puka could achieve the historic milestone of 2k yards, which will lead him to win the MVP.
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