Since he came into the NFL, Puka Nacua has almost constantly been in the news cycle. For the majority of that run, it was a positive reaction to one of the most dangerous wide receivers in recent football history.
But over the last year, his popularity has taken a bit of a hit after a few major misdeeds on his part. Now, after a lawsuit was filed against him, veteran analyst Skip Bayless isn’t too sure about him and his love for social media.
Why Skip Bayless Is Cooling Off on Rams WR Puka Nacua
For those unfamiliar with Bayless, he has been a huge proponent for Nacua ever since he entered the league as a fifth-round pick for the Los Angeles Rams. He was proven correct almost instantly as he set the NFL rookie record for receiving yards and receptions.
Since then, he’s continued on a spectacular run. Last year, in particular, he was a key reason the Rams ranked No. 1 in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric. He finished the year with 129 receptions, 1,715 yards, and 10 touchdowns.
As a result, he finished as the highest-ranked player on PFSN’s WR Impact and currently has the highest per-game receiving yards average in NFL history. Yet, over the last few weeks, his off-field shenanigans have stolen the spotlight from his play.
After an antisemitic gesture that he made while appearing on a livestream during the 2025 season, a woman accused him of making an antisemitic remark before biting her shoulder. Now, he’s undergoing an investigation, with a verdict still pending.
However, the growing number of issues has already turned Bayless off of him. During his most recent appearance on “The Arena,” he voiced his frustrations with the superstar wide receiver by calling him a “social star.”
“It’s that he’s a fifth-round draft pick, who grew up in Provo, Utah, who seems to have been bitten by the social media bug in that he wants to be a social star.” Reiterating Nacua’s blunders, he revealed a third one, which bothered him the most.
“He tried to get Adin Ross into the Rams’ facility, and Sean McVay said absolutely not. And then the most disturbing thing football-wise to me was at the end of the season, week 14, they beat Arizona, and after the game, he was in the locker room live-streaming.”
After he was repeatedly told to stop the stream, he finally acquiesced, but Bayless saw that as further evidence that the two-time Pro Bowler wanted to be a social media star. Due to his ongoing issues, he even believed that a new contract extension might be put on hold.
After Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history, it seemed inevitable that Los Angeles would break the bank with Nacua’s extension. Now, Bayless believes that could be put on the back burner.
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“I don’t know if it’s just rampant runaway immaturity on his part, but it doesn’t go together with being the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. So yeah, I’ve got concerns.” Even though he continued to praise his style of play, the problems off the field were too much for him to overlook.
A verdict on his actions remains pending, both from a legal standpoint and any action by the league. But for the time being, it looks like Nacua’s fame has taken a serious hit in a short amount of time, which could cost him a ton in the near future.
