Puka Nacua says he wants to retire by 30, but Rams fans don’t need to worry about it
It’s never easy to hear one of your favorite players talk about retirement, but Puka Nacua’s plan to retire at 30 should be the last thing on the minds of Rams fans. That is a long ways away and to even get to 30 would require playing a lot of football, avoiding a lot of things that could go wrong, and as far as fans here are concerned, staying with the L.A. Rams.
Nacua says he wants to retire in 6 or 7 years is like a friend calling you up to borrow money in 2032. “Then call me in 2032!”
Appearing on the Join the Lobby podcast this week, which I guess is about video games, Nacua said that he is worried that a long career in football could make it harder to be a father due to all the injuries that players sustain. “By the time my kids turn 18, I could be barely walking.”
He cited Aaron Donald as his role model for retiring while he’s still in good condition.
Nacua sounded serious about the fact that he plans to retire by 30 and says that he wants to get into real estate and own restaurants when his NFL career is over.
Superstar NFL player, real estate developer, restaurateur, gamer … Puka Nacua still has to get back to having a healthy season again before anything else can happen.
Nacua missed six games due to a knee injury in 2024, and in college he had a broken foot, a leg injury, and an ankle sprain that caused him to miss time throughout his career. He is one of the most physical receivers in the NFL, willing to sell out his body for any catch, so it’s understandable that he has fears of undergoing multiple surgeries before he retires.
But any NFL player making it to 30, let alone one as physical as Nacua, is already in itself a minor miracle. Most receivers, even the best in the world, have a harder time finding work in the NFL after turning 30 as it is.
Nacua turns 24 in May, so 30 is still seven seasons away. To even make it to age 27 and still be with the Rams, Nacua will have had to have four more seasons without a major injury, received a contract extension, and continued his historic level of play as a former fifth round pick.
In 31 career games, including playoffs, Nacua has 2,799 yards, 204 receptions, and 10 touchdowns. He is arguably the best bargain in the NFL because of his draft status and being on his rookie contract, so Nacua will be looking for a lucrative extension when he’s eligible in 2026. Based on recent deals for DK Metcalf, Tee Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase, Nacua would likely be looking in the $35-$40 million salary range, assuming that he’s healthy and productive in 2025.
Higgins found out that nagging injuries can at least delay an extension, as he had to play one year on the franchise tag and was extended after five seasons. Nacua has still only played two seasons. He has three more years to go — healthy ones, preferably — before he gets to five seasons played.
So do Rams fans have to worry about Puka Nacua’s retirement plans? Absolutely not. That’s just how he feels today and it will only matter in the distant future, and only if a lot of things go right.
If Nacua retires with the Rams at 30, he must have had one of the most blessed and historic careers of all-time.
