“I love every morning coming into the facility and getting to say ‘Hi’ to Matthew [Stafford] and Cooper [Kupp],” Puka Nacua gushed last season. The bond between this QB-WR pair was evident throughout the 2024 season. As the off-season began, rumors circulated about the Los Angeles Rams parting ways with their QB, but we finally have an answer.
Puka Nacua’s tweet—complete with a mid-airport chaos vibe and the caption “Lets do it!! Love ya 9”—wasn’t just a casual update. It was the equivalent of a game-winning Hail Mary in the group chat. The Los Angeles Rams’ rising star receiver, still dripping with the adrenaline of a record-smashing rookie season, had just dropped the mic on NFL offseason drama. Stafford, the grizzled QB with a cannon arm and a résumé thicker than a playbook, was staying put. And Puka? Well, he was ready to run through a wall for it.
“Yo. I’m currently sitting at the airport. I just barely missed my flight to Salt Lake City, but we just signed Matthew Stafford. Hey. Number nine is back.”Let’s rewind to 2023, when Nacua burst onto the scene like a TikTok trend no one saw coming. Drafted in the fifth round (177th overall), the 6’2” wideout didn’t just break rookie records—he vaporized them. 105 receptions. 1,486 yards. Those aren’t stats; they’re cheat codes.
Lets do it!! Love ya 9 pic.twitter.com/NT8b0F3yHb
— Puka Nacua (@AsapPuka) February 28, 2025
By Week 12, he’d already lapped every Rams rookie receiver ever, becoming the first to crack 1K yards. Stafford, meanwhile, was low-key, playing Yoda to Nacua’s Luke Skywalker. 59,809 career passing yards. 377 touchdowns. The man’s arm is a national treasure. But in 2024, even after battling Father Time harder than a linebacker blitz, Stafford still dropped a 65.8% completion rate and 3,762 yards.
And when the Rams needed that play—say, Week 4 against the Colts, OT on the line—Stafford rifled a 22-yard TD to Nacua, the rookie’s first career score. “I was so happy and proud for those guys to be back out on the grass with us,” Stafford later said, sounding like a dad watching his kid nail a bike trick.
But this isn’t just an ‘aw, how cute‘ story. It’s gridiron symbiosis. Nacua’s 2024 stats (79 catches, 990 yards, 3 TDs) don’t lie. Neither does Stafford’s loyalty. When the Giants and Raiders came knocking with $90M-$100M guaranteed, Stafford restructured his deal like he was rearranging fridge magnets. “We Not Me,” the Rams’ mantra, isn’t just a T-shirt slogan—it’s why this duo works.
LA’s Stafford and the culture that keeps him
The Rams aren’t just a team; they’re a vibe. Head coach Sean McVay’s playbook includes phrases like “Anger Sharks” (channeling rage into focus) and “Straight G’s” (keeping it 100). But nothing screams “culture” louder than Stafford choosing LA over a fat paycheck elsewhere. This is the same dude who dragged the Lions out of the NFC North basement for a decade, then delivered LA a Lombardi in 2021. Now? He’s the glue holding together a squad that mixes young guns (Nacua, Kyren Williams) and vets (Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald).
And let’s talk about traditions. The Rams don’t just celebrate Black History Month—they paint murals honoring it. During Latino Heritage Month, they partner with local artists, turning SoFi Stadium into a canvas. Pride Month? They’re front-row allies. It’s no wonder Stafford, a guy who’s thrown to Calvin Johnson and Cooper Kupp, fits here. This is a franchise that values legacy as much as stats.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA 2024: Rams vs Jets DEC 22 Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford 9 calls out the play during the NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in East Rutherford. Christopher Szagola/Cal Media/Sipa USA Credit Image: Christopher Szagola/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA East Rutherford MetLife Stadium New Jersey United States of America NOxUSExINxGERMANY PUBLICATIONxINxALGxARGxAUTxBRNxBRAxCANxCHIxCHNxCOLxECUxEGYxGRExINDxIRIxIRQxISRxJORxKUWxLIBxLBAxMLTxMEXxMARxOMAxPERxQATxKSAxSUIxSYRxTUNxTURxUAExUKxVENxYEMxONLY Copyright: xCalxSportxMediax Editorial use only
Case in point: The 2024 season. A 10-7 record, a Wild Card win over the Vikings, and a Divisional Round heartbreaker against the Eagles. Stats-wise, they were middle of the pack (21.6 PPG, 22.7 allowed), but clutch moments—like Nacua’s 123-yard masterpiece against the Patriots—kept them alive. “What Puka appreciates about Stafford…” one TikTok recap nailed it, “…is that he’ll throw into a phone booth if Puka’s there.” Trust? Try telepathy.
Bottom line: The Rams aren’t rebuilding—they’re reloading. Stafford’s back, Nacua’s hyped, and LA’s culture is stronger than a double-shot cold brew. As Puka would say: “Let’s do it!” Because in a league where loyalty’s rarer than a fumble-free game, this duo’s rewriting the script. Cue the Remember the Titans music—“ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP”—and let’s ride.
The post Puca Nacua Delivers Heartfelt Message to Matthew Stafford as LA Rams Retain the Veteran QB appeared first on EssentiallySports.