New Report Says Rams Are Unlikely to Extend Puka Nacua Before the Season

The Los Angeles Rams have a lot to figure out when it comes to the future contracts of several players on the roster. One of those players is wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal. As the Rams have started training camp, there has been a lot of speculation about whether the team will get a deal done before the start of the season or wait until next year.

Prior to this offseason, it almost seemed like a guarantee that Nacua was an extension candidate for the Rams. While he may still be a priority, Nacua’s off-field issues have certainly given cause for concern. Before signing Nacua to a massive extension, the Rams will want to be assured that he is someone worth that type of investment.

New Report Suggests Rams Will Wait on Extension

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, we should not expect a contract extension for Puka Nacua this offseason.

“Really what they want to see from Puka Nacua is that he’s in a better place this year than at any point last year,” said Rapoport. “This is about off the field. It’s about him personally…My understanding of the situation is do not expect a Puka Nacua contract extension before the season. He has one more year left on his deal. We will see after this year if he ends up getting tagged or a new extension and deal from the Rams.”

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: #Rams WR Puka Nacua is focused on improving off the field, which is one reason why a contract extension is more likely to be a discussion for next offseason — not this training camp. pic.twitter.com/yBAuW2rsLo
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 29, 2026

Rapoport made sure to emphasize the ‘do not’ part of the report. Last season, Nacua created off-field drama and put himself in bad situations. Prior to the Week 16 matchup against the Seahawks, Nacua went on a live stream with Adin Ross and then tried to get them into the facility before the Rams shut that down. Around New Year’s Eve, Nacua allegedly bit a woman on the shoulder and was sued over the incident.

Nacua Must Continue Earning the Rams' Trust

This past offseason, Nacua went to rehab and started seeing a therapist to take accountability for the situation. Nacua never threatened to hold out of training camp and has been participating as usual.

However, after Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed a contract this summer worth an average of $42.15 million per year, Nacua will be deserving of a similar deal. As it stands, Spotrac has Nacua’s market value at four years, $160.8 million, which is $40.2 million per season.

Franchise Tag Remains an Option

If the Rams are going to invest that much in Nacua, they will want assurance that he has matured and won't put himself in controversial situations going forward. The Rams can also opt to give Nacua the franchise tag. The franchise tag would cost significantly less than Nacua’s market value. According to OverTheCap, the projected value at wide receiver for the franchise tag in 2027 is $31.51 million.

In all likelihood, Nacua should remain with the Rams long-term. It simply comes down to Nacua proving to the Rams that he can handle the spotlight and everything that comes with it. If Nacua can do that, the Rams will take care of their star wide receiver and reward him properly.

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