Puka Nacua should be in line for the biggest contract a wide receiver has ever received in the NFL, but things might be changing in the life of one of the league’s best wideouts.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seattle Seahawks agreed to a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension last week, which put Nacua under the media microscope as he has a year left before needing a new contract from the Los Angeles Rams.
With Smith-Njigba set to make $42.15 million per year from the Seahawks, Nacua could be seeking $43 million or more with his extension.
While the Rams came into the offseason saying that re-signing Nacua would be one of their top priorities, the team still hasn’t locked down the receiver, with the Seahawks jumping in line by locking down their superstar wideout first.
Are the Rams and Nacua just taking their time ironing out the details of their agreement, or could something else be on the horizon?
Could the Rams actually think about trading one of the best players in the spot?
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Although seemingly impossible a few months ago, following months of Nacua being in the headlines for the wrong reasons, general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay might not want to tie their future to such a volatile personality.
The Rams have made it a point not to beto be afraid to cut ties with players if they no longer fit into their plans, regardless of how callous it can come off. It happened last season with Cooper Kupp, who was the Super Bowl MVP when they beat the Cincinnati Bengals, only to release him after believing he no longer fit their team dynamic.
The Rams have the No. 13 pick in April’s NFL Draft, and though they could find a permanent partner for Nacua once Davante Adams retires, they could also use that same pick to find his replacement.
If the Rams did trade Nacua, it would bring in one of the bigger hauls in recent memory, as the former BYU Cougar has broken records and left and right in his first three years as a pro in the NFL as a fifth-round pick.
While the likelihood is still low that McVay would cut ties with Nacua, there is precedent. And as time goes on, the whispers of a non-extension are only going to grow louder.
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