Puka Nacua reminds Tom Brady a lot of future Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald, which is why the seven-time Super Bowl champion believes the Los Angeles Rams star is on pace to join his Mount Rushmore of wide receivers.
With performances like Sunday’s, it’s easy to see why Brady thinks that highly of Nacua after the Rams star wide receiver won the LFG Player of the Game honor following a monster game.
Nacua had a career day in Sunday’s 41-34 win over the Detroit Lions, logging nine receptions for 181 yards to set a new career high.
As Brady spoke with Nacua after the game, the third-year receiver certainly displayed the confidence of a receiver who has Fitzgerald’s talent.
“Never,” said Nacua with a laugh when Brady asked if any ball that comes his way is uncatchable. “If it’s coming to No. 12, I’m going to find a way to come down with it.”
Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Rams WR Puka Nacua 🏆
Of course, as great as Nacua has been this year, that wasn’t entirely the case on Sunday. On the Rams’ second possession, quarterback Matthew Stafford dropped a pass right into Nacua’s hands that the receiver should’ve taken upfield, but he dropped the ball.
That didn’t stop Stafford from going his way all day, though, as the veteran targeted Nacua 11 times, with a few other targets not officially counting due to penalties. The tandem’s trust in each other was prevalent, but particularly late in the first half and through the end of the third quarter when Nacua caught four targets for 107 yards across four drives, including a 39-yard grab in the third.
Nacua’s combination of skills and dependability has him on a special trajectory, and it was enough on Sunday to inspire Brady to make the Fitzgerald comparison as he broke down why he’s amazed by Nacua before a Rams drive in the fourth quarter.
“He reminds me so much, and I dare to say it, of Larry Fitzgerald,” Brady said. “He does things on the outside part of the field, in the slot, incredible hands, run after catch. So smart, so aware. He’s good on third down. He’s good in the red area. He’s just an all-around receiver.
“I know Larry Fitzgerald is on my Mount Rushmore of NFL receivers, Puka’s showing me so much to elevate himself into — if he continues this for a long time — that’s the type of player he is.”
Puka Nacua on Rams’ win over Lions: ‘This is what football heaven looks like’
With Stafford continuing to trust Nacua, the wide receiver also has that same faith in his quarterback. He made that much clear while talking to Brady about Stafford continuing to go his way after he makes a mistake.
“100%. There’s nobody I trust more on the football field than No. 9,” Nacua said when asked about his trust in Stafford. “I owed him one after letting that one fall to the ground. I said, ‘It definitely won’t touch the turf again.’ So, it’s fun to be out there on the same page as him, especially in a full game, playing offense and defense, everyone coming together at the right time. It was fun to be out here today.”
As the Rams prepare to face the Seattle Seahawks in a major Thursday tilt, they might be without Nacua’s running mate Davante Adams, who had four receptions for 71 yards before leaving with a hamstring injury. But Nacua and the Rams know they need to be on the attack in a key battle for the NFC West despite the quick turnaround.
“It’s a mentality that we come at. It’s about the process,” Nacua said. “We’re going to come in tomorrow, recharge and recover as fast as we can, and it’s going to be next man up. We’re excited for the young guys who were out here and playing. It was great to see Tutu Atwell back out here and making a big-time catch when we needed it. We’ll need him on Thursday as well.”
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
