Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has already entered the final year of his four-year, $4.08 million rookie contract. While he’s looking forward to renewing his contract, he’d also become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 if he doesn’t extend his contract with the Rams. To prove himself worthy, Nacua has been trying a bit too hard. According to former NFL player Roddy White, that might become the reason for his downfall. 

During his appearance on The Up & Adams Show, Kay Adams asked White to weigh in on Nacua. But the 44-year-old receiver came forth with a reality check for the receiver. 

“That guy right there is a bulldozer,” White said. “I don’t know how long he gonna last in the NFL, to be honest with you. I’m being real. He keeps running into everybody. He keeps getting hurt. I already told everybody. Listen, I watched Cooper Kupp go through that same thing. He gonna have three to four seasons where he is unbelievable, and everybody is going to be like, ‘Oh this.’ And then he ain’t gonna be able to walk, because he’s doing too much. 

“It’s just they ask those guys to do way too much. And I think some of that needs to be passed on to other people. But you keep getting the ball in this guy’s hand, and he’s going to put up really great numbers for the next four to five years. But I don’t think he will do anything after that because he will be beat up.” 

To make things worse, Nacua has already given the Rams quite a few injury scares. In the 2023 season, he suffered a rib sprain and an A/C joint sprain. But he didn’t miss any games with these injuries. Later in the 2024 training camp, he sustained a knee injury, but he ended up suiting up for Week 1. However, things worsened in September 2024, when he suffered a PCL sprain in the knee. The Rams put him on IR, and he missed more than four games because of the injury.

During the 2025 season, Nacua sprained his ankle and missed one game in October. Later in November, during a game against the Saints, he sustained a chest injury. 

To make things worse, Nacua has been dealing with injuries for the last two months. Back in August, he got sidelined because of a groin injury during practice. Last month, during a practice session ahead of the Week 2 game against the Giants, he injured his hip and missed two games. And now, he has injured his calf during practice. That has put him on the questionable list for Week 7. 

With his rookie contract nearing its end, Nacua has a lot at stake. He needs to prove he is worthy of a contract extension and that his off-field issues are behind him. 

Despite the injury, Nacua is at No. 15 on Pro Football Network’s wide receiver impact rankings, with a grade of 81.8. In the four games that he has played this season, the receiver has caught 37 passes for 417 yards and a touchdown.

With free agency looming in 2027 and nagging injuries piling up, the Rams WR must learn to protect his body before his relentless physicality derails his career. Otherwise, his story will likely get a short ending, as White predicted.