Puka Nacua is tough.
The Los Angeles Rams already knew that, but their star wide receiver proved it in Week 1.
Nacua had a collision in the middle of the field that led to him bleeding from above the eye. He had to go to the locker room.
But once Nacua was evaluated for a concussion (and cleared) and got stitches, he was back on the field.
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His first drive back, Nacua had catches of 24 and 19 yards, no problem.
"He's as tough as it gets," Rams head coach Sean McVay said, via ESPN. "I had a buddy of mine text me that 'Nacua must mix his oatmeal with cement because he's so tough.' He's a stud, did an incredible job being able to come back in there."
Nacua finished Sunday's game with 10 catches for 130 yards.
He's unquestionably one of the NFL's best receivers, and he's done it with an unexpected rapid rise from a fifth-round pick out of BYU in 2023.
As a rookie, he had 105 catches for 1,486 yards.
Last season, he missed six games and still had 79 catches for 990 yards.
And now, Nacua is off to a great start to the 2025 season.
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His physical style of play can lead to bumps and bruises, and even bleeding, but Nacua seems capable of playing through most of that.
And in the process, he's showing that pedigree isn't always the biggest thing. Nacua's heart and toughness combine with his ability to make him a rising superstar.
"He's a special player," quarterback Matthew Stafford said, via ESPN. "He's a special person on our team. His game comes to life on Sundays. He goes out there in practice and he's working. He is doing all this stuff. He's making plays and all that, but when it becomes tackle football is when Puka Nacua's game comes to life."
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