Los Angeles Rams

Puka Nacua's NFL career is just beginning, but the wide receiver already has his retirement age in mind as he enters his third season with the Los Angeles Rams.

"I want to retire at the age of 30," Nacua said during an appearance on the Join The Lobby podcast (1:18:45 mark).

The Pro Bowl wideout explained that he wants to follow a similar path as legendary Rams defensive tackle and former teammate Aaron Donald.

"I think of Aaron Donald," Nacua said. "To go out at the top, I think it would be super cool."

Donald retired at 32 years old despite earning All-Pro honors during his final NFL season in 2023.

Nacua is also targeting a relatively early retirement because he wants to preserve his long-term health for spending time with his future family after the end of his tenure in the league.

"By the time my kids could be 18, I could be barely walking if you play the game and you sustain all the injuries and stuff like that," Nacua said (1:19:25 mark).

The 23-year-old appeared in just 11 games during his 2024 campaign due to a knee injury, but he still managed to haul in 79 receptions for 990 yards and three scores.

Nacua also made his presence felt during Los Angeles' run to the divisional round of the playoffs, recording 11 catches for 141 yards in two postseason games.

With his knee injury in the rearview mirror, both the Rams and the receiver will be looking for him to perform at a similar level as he did during his stellar rookie season in 2023.

Nacua blew past expectations as a fifth-round draft pick, catching 105 passes and setting a new rookie record by amassing 1,486 receiving yards. He finished No. 2 in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.

As he prepares for the 2025 season, Nacua is also aware of when he'll eventually decide to step away from the NFL.

After Puka Nacua gave his No. 17 jersey to new Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams, he opted to take No. 12 after using it while playing football in high school and college.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, whose first number in the NFL was 12 as a member of the St. Louis Rams in 2005, joked that he gave Nacua permission to use his former number.

The Rams announced Nacua's jersey switch on Tuesday, along with clips of him from college at BYU wearing No. 12.

Nacua added context for the number in the video, calling it a "family number" that he used in his "Little League football years all the way through high school and into college."

Adams agreed to a two-year, $46 million contract with the Rams on Sunday following his release from the New York Jets. The six-time Pro Bowler has worn No. 17 for his entire NFL career dating back to 2014.

Jets rookie Malachi Corley was using No. 17 last season before switching to 14 after Adams was acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.

No. 17 has been incredibly good to Nacua since entering the NFL. He ranks seventh among all players in receiving yards (2,476) and 10th in receptions (184) over the past two seasons, despite missing six games in 2024 due to a knee injury.

Rams fans can relax knowing the No. 12 wasn't bad to Nacua in college. He racked up 1,430 yards and 11 touchdowns on 91 receptions in 21 games over two seasons at BYU from 2021 to '22.

Fitzpatrick used No. 12 on the Rams in 2005 after being a seventh-round draft pick. He didn't fare well with 777 yards, four touchdowns and eight interceptions in four games (three starts).

Things did get better for Fitzpatrick after that, though he also switched off No. 12 after his rookie year.

The last Rams player to wear No. 12 was also a wide receiver, Van Jefferson. He spent four years with the team from 2020 to '23 before being traded to the Atlanta Falcons in October 2023.

Jefferson did have a career-high 802 yards and six touchdowns during the 2021 season to help the Rams win the Super Bowl.

Cooper Kupp's time with the Los Angeles Rams has ended via release instead of trade.

Los Angeles informed the wide receiver that he would be released earlier on Wednesday, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Pelissero added that the Rams made attempts to trade Kupp but ultimately decided to let him go "with no one willing to give up compensation and take on" his costly contract, which includes cap hits of $29.8 million this year and $27.3 million in 2026.

It became clear this offseason that Los Angeles would move on from the veteran wide receiver when he took to social media on Feb. 3 and revealed: "I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships. I don't agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA."

However, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported in March that "the question, though, is is there enough interest to do a trade where a team will take on his full salary? If not, it certainly seems a possibility for the Rams would be cutting Cooper Kupp and then moving on."

ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported on March 10 that Los Angeles planned on releasing Kupp assuming no trade materialized.

Cutting him was the ultimate move, ending a saga that dated back to the 2024 season when Dianna Russini, Mike Silver and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reported that Los Angeles "called multiple teams" regarding a potential Kupp trade and was looking for a second-round pick in return.

The in-season reports about a possible trade came after an uneven 5-6 start to the season for the Rams, who saw Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) sidelined by early injuries. However, they ended up keeping Kupp and catching fire down the stretch.

Los Angeles won five straight after that start and clinched the NFC West before Week 18. That earned it a home playoff game and made the decision to keep Kupp, who finished the campaign with 67 catches for 710 yards and six touchdowns, look like a wise one.

However, the Rams decided to release him Wednesday, just two days after they signed Davante Adams to play alongside Nacua.

That means other teams around the league will have the chance to sign someone who can be a top playmaker when healthy.

Kupp isn't far removed from one of the best wide receiver seasons in NFL history when he led the league in catches (145), receiving yards (1,947) and touchdown catches (16) as the Offensive Player of the Year in 2021.

As if that wasn't enough, he won Super Bowl LVI MVP with eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

He has struggled with durability since then and appeared in nine games in 2022, 12 games in 2023 and 12 games in 2024. Whatever team signs him will surely hope he can remain on the field and replicate some of those 2021 numbers as it chases a playoff spot.

Los Angeles Rams star quarterback Matthew Stafford spent a few weeks as a trade candidate before ultimately deciding to stay put after receiving a restructured contract from the team.

During an appearance on the New Heights podcast, Stafford opened up about the process of his return to the Rams.

"That was a little nerve-wracking there for a little bit, just trying to figure out what was gonna go down," Stafford said at the 9:21 mark. "But happy to be back wearing Rams colors, playing at So-Fi, doing the thing."

This marked the second straight offseason that Stafford was mired in a contract dispute with the Rams. However, things were resolved much quicker this time, as he didn't reach an agreement with the team last offseason until the day before training camp officially started.

The 37-year-old explained that he always knew that his contract would have to be adjusted once again this offseason.

"I think it was kind of a joint process," Stafford said at the 13:43 mark. "I wasn't a free agent, I still had two years left on my deal and we kind of worked something out last year at the 11th hour to figure it out right before training camp with the understanding that we're gonna come back and readdress this if I want to play again the next year. ... So it was like, 'All right, let's figure out how to get this done.'"

Before agreeing to the restructured deal, Stafford's name was floated in rumors linking him to quarterback-needy teams like the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants. Still, he never lost confidence in the Rams' desire to keep him in the fold, and he's happy to continue moving forward with the organization that he led to a Super Bowl title in 2021.

"I think in the end, I know that they wanted me back, I wanted to be back, we just had to figure that out and get to that point," Stafford added. "We did, and I'm sure as hell happy that I'm gonna be here for at least another year and hopefully some after that."

There can only be one Los Angeles Rams wide receiver who wears No. 17 next season, and it isn't going to be Puka Nacua.

Los Angeles announced Tuesday that Nacua will wear No. 12 after it reportedly added Davante Adams in free agency:

"It's been a family number," Nacua says in the video. "I wore it in my Little League football years all the way through high school and into college."

This comes after Nacua appeared on Tuesday's episode of the St. Brown Podcast and said, "I don't think I'd do it for $2 mill" when Amon-Ra St. Brown asked him if he would give up No. 17 to his new teammate in Adams for $2 million (55-second mark).

It should be noted the entire conversation had a light-hearted tone and the receivers were clearly having fun with the topic. Nacua even joked about Adams' sponsorships with Taco Bell and Jordan Brand, suggesting he could afford to pay quite a lot of money for the number.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Los Angeles and Adams agreed to a two-year deal worth $46 million with $26 million in guarantees. That means even more money for a veteran who, according to Spotrac, has made more than $129.5 million in career earnings on the football field alone.

And Adams has worn only one number while making that money.

The six-time Pro Bowler was No. 17 for the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets. New York acquired Adams via trade during the season in 2024, and then-rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley switched from No. 17 to No. 14 to accommodate the veteran.

Nacua is more of a headline player than Corley after breaking onto the scene as a Pro Bowler with 1,486 receiving yards during his rookie campaign in 2023, and his jersey is also a popular one among Rams fans.

Still, Adams has been doing this for a long time.

And any type of money for the number might also go a long way for Nacua as well considering the 23-year-old is in the middle of a four-year, $4.1 million contract in the early stages of his NFL career.

The switch has officially been made, and he will wear the same number he did at BYU.

Cooper Kupp's time with the Los Angeles Rams is reportedly coming to an end soon.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Rams are planning to release the wide receiver after the start of the new league year unless a trade is completed.

The new league year will begin on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

Kupp initially revealed that Los Angeles informed him it would be seeking a trade for him in a social media post on Feb. 3.

The writing was on the wall regarding the 31-year-old's future in Los Angeles, with Rams general manager Les Snead telling reporters on Wednesday that a return to the team would be the "least likely" scenario for the receiver.

Kupp has two years remaining on a three-year, $80.1 million contract extension that he signed with the team in 2022.

If he's released by the Rams, they'll save $7.52 million in cap space (h/t ESPN). If Kupp is designated as a post-June 1 cut, Los Angeles will absorb $22.2 million in dead money due to the remaining prorated portions of his signing bonus as well as $5 million of his roster bonus.

The former Offensive Player of the Year has spent his entire eight-year career with the Rams, earning Super Bowl MVP honors following their championship victory during the 2021 season.

Kupp was stellar throughout his 2021 campaign, pacing the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16).

He's been hampered by injuries since, failing to appear in more than 12 regular-season games during each of the past three years. In 2024, Kupp recorded 710 yards and six scores in 12 contests.

If the Rams can't find a willing trade partner, Kupp is reportedly slated to hit free agency on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Rams' odds of achieving multiple milestones during the 2025 season shifted after signing veteran wide receiver Davante Adams on Sunday.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Los Angeles' odds of winning Super Bowl 60 improved from +2800 to +2500 following the signing. The Rams' odds of winning the NFC moved from +1300 to +1100, while their odds of clinching an NFC West title shifted from +280 to +250.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Adams signed a two-year contract worth $46 million with the Rams that included $26 million guaranteed.

The Rams are now tied with the Los Angeles Chargers for the 10th-best odds to win Super Bowl 60, via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Adams was released by the New York Jets on Tuesday in order for New York to save $29.9M in cap space, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

He should immediate contribute on a Rams team that already owned the No. 10 passing attack in the NFL last season despite star receiver Puka Nacua appearing in just 11 games due to knee issues.

Los Angeles is also coming off a divisional-round playoff appearance.

The Rams still have Cooper Kupp on their roster as well, but Kupp revealed on Feb. 3 that the team was looking to trade him.

Adams may be two seasons removed from his stretch of earning three consecutive first-team All-Pro honors from 2020-22, but he's proven that he can still make an impact in the passing offense of multiple teams.

In 14 games with the Jets and Las Vegas Raiders in 2024, Adams hauled in 85 receptions for 1,063 yards and found the end zone eight times. He also averaged over 70 receiving yards per game for the sixth time in his career.

As the Rams look to clinch a second consecutive NFC West crown and build upon their playoff run last season, the addition of Adams on Sunday boosted their odds of doing so.

The Los Angeles Rams made a significant addition to the team's wide receiver room on Sunday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Rams signed six-time Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams to a two-year contract worth $46 million. Adams' deal also includes $26 million guaranteed.

Signing the veteran is an early move for a Los Angeles team that's expected to have a busy offseason with just over $45.6 million in cap space (via Over the Cap).

Alongside Puka Nacua, Adams now sits atop a wide receiver depth chart for the Rams that also includes Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Tyler Johnson, Xavier Smith, Quintez Cephus and Drake Stoops.

Cooper Kupp is still with Los Angeles, but the team previously informed him that it was seeking a trade.

The Rams adding Adams doesn't come as a major surprise, as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Feb. 8 that the wideout was "intrigued" by playing on the West Coast and was "open" to joining Los Angeles.

While the team's location factored into Adams' decision, he also has an opportunity to contribute on a squad with postseason aspirations. The Rams have made the playoffs in six of the past eight years and are coming off a divisional-round appearance during their 2024 campaign.

Adams became available after he was released by the New York Jets on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old opened the 2024 season with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he was acquired by the Jets in an Oct. 2024 trade. In 14 combined appearances with both teams, he hauled in 85 receptions for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns.

Adams fared much better following the change of scenery. After scoring one touchdown and averaging 69.7 yards per game in three contests with the Raiders, he found the end zone seven times in 11 appearances with the Jets while averaging 77.6 yards per game.

While the veteran hasn't made a Pro Bowl appearance since the 2022 season, he's still been able to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past five years.

Adams and Nacua should form an imposing duo for Matthew Stafford as part of the Rams' passing attack while they attempt to clinch a third consecutive playoff appearance in 2025.

One of the greatest receivers of his generation reportedly will be suiting up for the Los Angeles Rams for the next two seasons.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Rams reached an agreement with star wideout Davante Adams on a two-year, $46 million contract on Sunday with $26 million guaranteed.

ESPN's Sarah Barshop provided more details on the deal:

Rams head coach Sean McVay had been recruiting Adams "hard," according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, who added that the wide receiver is currently in Japan, so the time difference made things a little difficult.

Adams became a free agent for the first time in his 11-year career after he was released by the New York Jets, who acquired him in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2024 campaign.

Adams should serve as a viable replacement for star receiver Cooper Kupp, who was informed by the Rams that he would be traded this offseason.

Despite still performing at a high level, the 2024 season was a forgettable one for Adams. He played in three games for the Raiders before airing his frustrations and requesting to be traded. The team obliged and sent him to the Jets, reuniting him with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. While there was hope in New York that they would relive the glory days of their time with the Green Bay Packers, it wasn't meant to be.

In 11 games with the Jets, Adams produced 67 catches, 854 yards and seven touchdowns. He had 18 receptions for 209 yards and a score in his three appearances with the Raiders, giving him his fifth straight 1,000-yard season. However, New York failed to improve following his arrival and finished the year with a 5-12 record.

The Jets hired head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey to replace Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas, both of whom were fired before the end of the 2024 season. The new regime didn't waste time making major changes, announcing the decision to part ways with Rodgers nearly a month before Adams was released. Moving on from Adams freed up $29.9 million in salary cap space for New York.

Now, Adams will focus on making an impact with the Rams, who went 10-7 this past season before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round. The 32-year-old will bring a veteran presence to a receiving corps that also includes wideouts Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson, and he likely will quickly develop chemistry with star quarterback Matthew Stafford as he chases his first career Super Bowl ring.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp spoke about his emotions after learning of his team's intentions to trade him in an exclusive interview with Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times.

"In that moment, I made the decision that I didn’t want this to be a bitter thing in terms of our ending there," Kupp told Farmer. "I try to keep it as positive as possible and just be forward thinking about how to walk out of there and be able to shake each other’s hands and move forward.

"We did that. And as time has gone on I’ve had to deal with all the frustration, anger, sadness, all these things that as a human you process. Having to say goodbye to people and know that that door is closed. That’s been tough to walk through as the weeks have gone by."

Kupp revealed on Feb. 3 that the Rams were seeking to trade him immediately.

A deal has not yet transpired, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Kupp will "more likely than not" be released at this juncture.

Kupp, who has two seasons remaining on a three-year, $80.1 million extension, has played his entire eight-year career for the Rams.

It's understandable why Kupp would be upset about the team's decision to part ways. The Rams are the only team he's ever known, and he's excelled for L.A., most notably in 2021 when he won the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP honors.

The third-round pick out of Eastern Washington has exceeded all expectations and then some en route to becoming a franchise legend.

Kupp has made it clear that he wants to stay with the Rams, but his time in town is now reaching its end.

Injuries have slowed him down over the past few years, but he's still productive when healthy. He finished last year with 67 receptions for 710 yards and six scores in 12 games.

If he is released, Kupp should certainly garner interest in free agency. We'll see soon enough if there's any movement on that front, with the legal tampering period beginning Monday.