The Seattle Seahawks have built their defense with the aim of slowing down Puka Nacua and the Los Angeles Rams offense, though some recent quotes from Nacua could bring an early end to his LA tenure.
The Rams have loaded up on the offensive side of the ball, signing Davante Adams to play alongside Nacua and retaining Matthew Stafford. Even after those two leave town, the presence of Sean McVay will make it easy for the Rams to retool on the fly.
The fact LA found Nacua in the fifth round and put him in a position to dominate immediately has to sting for Seahawks fans. Luckily for this fanbase, Nacua's latest comments made it seem like he doesn't envision being a thorn in their side for very long
In an appearance on the "Join The Lobby" podcast, Nacua said that he plans on retiring around the age of 30. Nacua, who will turn 24 before the season, may have put a very firm cap on how long he will torture the Seahawks, which could make life very challenging for the Rams in the future.
Puka Nacua's retirement talk is good news for Seahawks fans
Nacua's 17-game pace puts him on track for over 100 catches and 1,500 yards when he stays healthy. No matter how tough of a secondary Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks build to counteract that, this team is always going to struggle to fully take him out of a game.
The Rams may be the team best positioned to compete for division titles in the immediate future. The Seahawks still need to see if the whole Sam Darnold experiment will work, the 49ers seemingly jettisoned half of their roster in preparation for the inevitable Brock Purdy contract, and the Cardinals are perpetually mediocre.
Nacua said that he is eyeing early retirement both out of admiration for a player like Aaron Donald leaving the game at his physical peak and his desire to raise a large family without injuries from a long football career impacting it. That is some sound logic that even a jaded Seahawks fan must respect.
Until that day comes, the Seahawks will need to lean on their Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen-led secondary to shut Nacua down.
