Coming into the 2023 NFL regular season, not many people were paying much attention to the Los Angeles Rams. After years of trading away draft capital and assets for established veterans, they were resetting their roster.
Several players departed in free agency and were traded or released as the roster was purged in an attempt to get their salary cap back in line. It resulted in quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive tackle Aaron Donald being the only truly recognizable names remaining on the roster.
The Rams needed other players to step up and produce to keep the team afloat and they have received that. The biggest breakout star has been rookie wide receiver, Puka Nacua. Nacua made a name for himself early on when he stepped into Kupp’s role in the offense to begin the season.
NFL News & Rumors: Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams Updates
On injured reserve because of a hamstring injury, the Rams needed someone to step up as the No. 1 receiver for Stafford. Many expected Van Jefferson to possibly step into the role, but instead, it was Nacua, a fifth-round rookie out of BYU.
He was magnificent in the weeks without Kupp, setting rookie records with his hot start. While he cooled down a little bit in the middle of the season, he has turned things back up in recent weeks and is on pace to make NFL history.
As shared by Ari Meirov on X, formerly Twitter, Nacua has caught 96 passes for 1,327 yards and five touchdowns. If he can catch nine passes, he will break the rookie record of 104 held by Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins. If he can record at least 147 receiving yards, he will break the rookie record held by Bill Groman, who set the record in 1960 with the Houston Oilers.
NFL News & Rumors: Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams Updates
At times the passing offense was exclusively Stafford targeting Kupp, but that is no longer the case. Nacua has emerged as a legitimate No. 1 option and there are solid complementary players in Tutu Atwell and Demarcus Robinson behind them as well.
The Rams are a dangerous team heading into the postseason as they have proven they can keep up with anyone offensively. If their defense gets hot, they are going to surprise a lot of people in January.
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