RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesDespite not having a contract extension in hand, Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua has been a full participant at training camp , and on Wednesday, Nacua declared that holding out was never an option and that football is a "safe place" for him after he was involved in several off-field incidents.
While Nacua is a full-go for team activities, there has been little news about any movement regarding his contractual future. Nacua, who is set to be a free agent after this season, has been one of the NFL's best players since being drafted in 2023.
That was until NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said that the Rams and Nacua are unlikely to get a deal done before the regular season begins and that it's more probable that Nacua and the team will amp up talks next offseason. The reason is that the Rams want to see improvement from Nacua in his personal behavior.
"The Los Angeles Rams, really what they want to see from Puka Nacua is that he is in a better place this year than he was at any point last year," said Rapoport. "Not even talking about on the field. On the field, he is a superstar. He's one of the best, if not the best receiver in the NFL and certainly, just based on his play, deserves a huge contract.
"That's not really what this is about. This is about off the field. This is about him personally, and Puka Nacua mentioned some of it. His work with a therapist, going to rehab, taking accountability for some of the actions that he very well did last year in very public manner. That really is what the Rams want to see, and that is why my understanding of the situation.
"(I) do not expect a Puka Nacua contract extension before the season. Do not. He has one more year left on his deal. The Rams have spent a lot of money in a lot of different places on a lot of different players. I expect that to sort of be the focus this year, and we will see after this year if he ends up getting tagged or a new extension and deal from the Rams."
The Rams did add on massive contracts on the defense side of the ball, with Trent McDuffie, Kam Curl, Jaylen Watson, and Myles Garrett adding to their bill. The Rams have also not extended any of Nacua's 2023 classmates, players such as Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Steve Avila.
Last year, the Rams gave Kyren Williams an extension just before Week 1 and extended Nate Landman and Quentin Lake during the season.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Report: Rams not expected to extend Puka Nacua this offseason
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