Puka Nacua Sounds Off on Officiating After Rams’ Heartbreaker vs. Seahawks
After a game that saw the Los Angeles Rams surrender a 16-point fourth-quarter lead in a wild Thursday night showdown, wide receiver Puka Nacua didn’t hold back. The rookie sensation had a monster performance-12 catches, 225 yards, and two touchdowns-but it was the officiating that had him fired up postgame.
In a livestream with Adin Ross and N3on, Nacua voiced his frustration, taking direct aim at the referees. His words were blunt: he accused officials of making poor calls because they “want to be on TV.” It wasn’t just a passing comment, either-Nacua also took to social media after the Rams’ 38-37 overtime loss to Seattle, posting a now-deleted tweet that continued his criticism of the officiating crew.
It’s not hard to understand the emotion behind Nacua’s comments. The Rams were in control for most of the night, building a 30-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Nacua was a major reason why, torching the Seahawks’ secondary with precision route-running and big-play ability. He capped off his night with a touchdown on the Rams’ first possession in overtime, seemingly putting the game back in their hands.
But Seattle wasn’t done. The Seahawks answered with a touchdown of their own and then punched in a two-point conversion to complete a dramatic comeback and snatch the top spot in the NFC at 12-3, with just two weeks left in the regular season.
For Nacua, who turned in one of the best performances of his young career, the loss stung-and the officiating only added fuel to the fire. While his deleted tweet suggests he may have cooled off after the initial wave of frustration, his comments on the livestream made it clear: he believes the refs played a role in the Rams’ collapse.
There’s no doubt emotions run high in games with playoff implications, and for a player like Nacua-who’s been a breakout star this season-coming up short in such a critical moment only magnifies the frustration. Whether the league addresses his comments or not remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Puka Nacua is making noise, both on the field and off it.