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Rams Star Wide Receiver Puka Nacua Already Knows When He'll Retire

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Mar 24, 2025 9:43 PM ET

Puka Nacua has had two great seasons to begin his NFL career, but he's already thinking about when he'll retire.

A fifth-round pick out of BYU in 2023, Nacua burst onto the scene with 105 receptions, 1,486 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. In 2024, Nacua was limited to 11 games by injuries, but still turned in 79 catches, 990 yards and three TDs.

Nacua, who turns 24 in May, revealed on a recent episode of the "Join The Lobby" podcast that he's hoping to hang up his cleats six years from now.

"I know I want to retire at the age of 30," Nacua said. "I'm 23 right now, I'm going into Year 3 -- so like 10 years. It wouldn't even be 10 years. It'd be maybe seven or eight. I think of Aaron Donald, to go out at the top, I think it would be super cool."

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 1: Puka Nacua #17 of the Los Angeles Rams runs the ball during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 1, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Nacua's motivation is simple. He comes from a big family--one of five siblings--and wants to have several children of his own.

If and when he does have kids, Nacua wants to be physically able to maximize his time with them.

"I want to be able to be a part of their lives and be as active as I can with them," Nacua said. "The injuries are something you can't control [as] part of the game, so you never know. Hopefully, the rest of the career can go healthy, but you have shoulder surgery, you have knee surgery, you have ankle. By the time my kids could be 18, I could be barely walking if you play the game and sustain all the injuries and stuff like that, but I want to retire early."

It sounds like Nacua has it all figured out, so good for him. It's possible he changes his mind at some point, but even if he sticks to this timeline, Rams fans should be able to watch him at his peak for a few more seasons.

[ ESPN ]

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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