Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is on fire to start the season.
Through the first five games this season, Nacua leads the NFL in receptions (52) and receiving yards (588). The latter puts Nacua on pace for 1,999 yards this year (projected over 17 games), which would set a new single-season record. Former Detroit Lions Hall of Fame wideout Calvin Johnson holds the current record of 1,964 receiving yards, which he set in 2012 in 16 games. In Week 5, Nacua became the fastest player to reach 50-plus receptions to start a season.
Nacua, in his third year out of BYU, is already a one-time Pro Bowl selection, having been drafted as a fifth-round pick in 2023. In his rookie year alongside former Rams All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp, Nacua burst onto the NFL scene to snag 105 catches for 1,486 yards, 6 touchdowns, and became a Pro Bowler. However, Nacua isn’t the first Rams wideout to chase the single-season receiving yards record.
Advertisement
In 2021, Kupp led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns to win the triple crown, to accomplish the feat. One trend that Nacua, Kupp, and Johnson share is that Matthew Stafford is the quarterback who got them the ball.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, doing so last season. Chase led the NFL with 127 receptions, 1,707 receiving yards, and 17 touchdowns. Justin Jefferson came up short of the record in 2022, leading the NFL with 128 receptions and 1,809 yards, which currently has him sitting in sixth place on the list.
Former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones led the league in receptions (136) and receiving yards (1,871) in 2015, and that season is third on the single-season receiving yards list. That same season, former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Antonio Brown went for 1,834 yards receiving, which places him fifth on the list.
Advertisement
The biggest obstacle ahead for Nacua would be staying on the field at this point. Thus far, no defense has been able to stop him, so whether he can stay healthy might be the only thing to prevent Nacua from reaching this milestone and setting a new receiving record. There’s also the chance for Nacua to become the first wide receiver in NFL history to record a 2,000-yard receiving campaign.
For Week 6, Nacua and the Rams visit the Baltimore Ravens and their struggling defense. The Ravens rank 32nd in points allowed per game (35.4) and 31st in passing yards allowed per game (262.6). The Rams and Ravens kick off on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.llowed per game (262.6).
Read the full article here
