After catching 313 passes over his first three NFL seasons, it looked like Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was on the fast track toward a contract extension but off-field issues slowed things down this offseason.
Nacua faces a lawsuit from a woman who accuses him of biting her and the incident also led to an investigation for possible criminal charges. Nacua, who could face discipline from the NFL as well, spent time in a rehab facility this offseason and there’s been little sign that the Rams want to move forward with an extension at the moment.
Nacua said he and the team “haven’t had too many conversations” about his contract and the overall state of affairs helped push Nacua to avoid the holdouts or hold-ins that some other players bucking for new deals employ during training camp.
“Coming out here and seeing that jersey, No. 12, hung up in my locker is something that I don’t take for granted,” Nacua said, via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. “Being around this group of guys, I think of all the guys that have reached out in this offseason to be there by my side, and then when we’re here in the meeting rooms, the level of connection I feel like I have with the guys out there, it never crossed my mind that I don’t want to be out there with those guys.”
There’s a risk of an injury on the practice field that would further complicate Nacua’s contract push, but it’s a necessary one for Nacua to take if he wants to land the kind of security that seemed like a sure thing at the start of the year.
Read the full article here
