Here’s Another Super Bowl Window for Rams

Wide receiver Puka Nacua outlined the timeline for his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams this week.

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) celebrates after defeating the Minnesota Vikings during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There's good reason Les Snead was chatting with Arch Manning at the University of Texas Pro Day on Tuesday, and why the Rams might be eyeing Jaxson Dart in the upcoming draft.

The Rams already knew they had a small Super Bowl window with Matthew Stafford. Now, they have a definitive Super Bowl window with Puka Nacua.

The wide receiver told the Join the Lobby podcast Monday that he won’t be with the Rams – or any NFL team – in 2031.

“I know I want to retire at the age of 30,” Nacua said. “I’m 23 right now, I’m going into Year 3—it wouldn’t even be 10 years. It’d be maybe seven or eight.

“I think of Aaron Donald, to go out at the top, I think it would be super cool. But also, I want to have a big family. I want to have at least a starting five. I came from a big family, so I need five boys, for sure. But also, like, I want to be able to be a part of their lives and be as active as I can with them.”

Nacua turns 24 in May. In other words, if he retires at age 30 – the age at which Sean McVay became the Rams’ head coach – Nacua wouldn’t be available in the fall of 2031. Perhaps that’s why Nacua was so generous in giving Davante Adams his uniform number, 17, after the Rams signed the six-time Pro Bowler.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Albert Breer had some interesting thoughts on Nacua’s revelation, noting that age 30 isn’t an unusual retirement age. Breer said Tuesday that Nacua simply said the quiet part out loud.

He mentioned the more recent retirement announcement made by Bengals defensive lineman Sam Hubbard, 29. Breer also noted that Calvin Johnson retired at 30 after nine NFL seasons, and Patrick Willis retired at the same age following his eight-year NFL career.

“Yes, Johnson and Willis are Pro Football Hall of Famers,” Breer wrote, “so naturally there was going to be bewilderment over their decisions to walk away. But that someone such as Hubbard, a good starter for the Cincinnati Bengals for seven years, could walk away at his age without people wondering much about it represents a shift in how we look at these things.

“And that’s a good thing. It means players are more informed on the long-term risks in playing into their 30s, are financially capable of walking away, and are prepared (mentally and otherwise) for post-football life.”

Nacua wants his post-football life to include the physical capability to be involved with his kids.

“The injuries are something you can’t control, part of the game, so you never know,” Nacua said. “Hopefully, the rest of the career can go healthy, but you have shoulder surgery, you have knee surgery, you have ankle. By the time my kids could be 18, I could be barely walking if you play the game and sustain all the injuries and stuff like that, but I want to retire early.”

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