Nacua spoke out about his fine for criticizing officials for the first time
Puka Nacua was given a learning opportunity last week when he found his name in headlines for comments he made about NFL officials and a controversial dance he did on a livestream with two internet personalities.
Nacua apologized for creating a distraction for his team just before their biggest game of the season, but that didn’t prevent the league from fining him $25,000 for criticizing the officials on the livestream and in a post on X after the Rams’ loss to Seattle.
Nacua discussed the fine for the first time on Friday, admitting it “definitely hurt” and called it a “learning moment.”
“That one, it definitely hurt. I think it was something I was expecting,” he said. “It was a learning moment and an experience to learn from and to never let happen again. There are going to be moments of frustration later on in my career whether it’s ups and downs on my personal half or on the team’s half so being able to manage those emotions and send that energy in the right direction.”
The Rams didn’t publicly punish Nacua for his actions but the fine was likely enough for Nacua to learn he has to be careful about what he says on a public platform.
He’s been an exceptional player and teammate for the Rams since getting drafted in the fifth round three years ago, so this was really his first time causing any sort of issues off the field. and if this is the worst he does, the Rams have nothing to worry about.