Ever since the Los Angeles Rams selected Puka Nacua with the No. 177 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, he has been one of the best wide receivers (and stories) in the NFL.
It is rare for a fifth-round pick to come in and have the type of success Nacua has enjoyed over his first two seasons. Let’s examine Nacua’s contract, salary, and net worth.
Puka Nacua’s Contract and Salary
On June 20, 2023, Nacua inked a four-year contract worth $4,084,977 with Los Angeles. The deal featured $244,980 in guarantees and a $244,980 signing bonus.
This season, his base salary is just $915,000 and with his prorated $61,245 signing bonus, his cap hit is just $976,245.
He is easily one of the biggest bargains in the NFL. For reference, he is the 191st-highest-paid wide receiver in the league.
Nacua is earning less than wide receivers like Arizona Cardinals WR Andre Baccellia, Cincinnati Bengals WR Kendrick Pryor, Carolina Panthers WR Dax Milne, Jacksonville Jaguars WRs Austin Trammell, and many other virtually unknown players.
Nacua signed a standard rookie deal that is customary for his draft slot, and outside of the signing bonus, there is very little room for negotiation when it comes to rookie contracts in the NFL.
Nacua’s net worth is currently estimated to be roughly $1 million. Through two NFL seasons, he has earned $1,909,976.
Examining Nacua’s Family and Upbringing
Nacua is of Samoan, Portuguese, and native Hawaiian descent. Nacua is proud of his Samoan background, which he often displays on his Instagram.
“Puka’s grandmother immigrated to the U.S. from West Samoa with her only daughter, Penina,” according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Puka’s father, Lionel, passed away due to diabetes when he was just 10 years old, so his mother, Penina, was tasked with raising six children, five boys and one girl, as a single mother.
Nacua’s birth name is Makea, but his nickname “Puka” means fat and chubby in Samoan. You’d never know that from looking at his chiseled 6’2″, 212-pound frame these days.
While at Orem High, Nacua was named Utah’s “Mr. Football.” He also earned an invite to play in the Polynesian Bowl, which is played in Honolulu, Hawaii, and features many of the top-ranked high school seniors of Polynesian descent (and some prospects who aren’t of Polynesian ancestry).
During the 2019 Polynesian Bowl, Nacua caught six passes for 93 yards and a tip-toe 29-yard touchdown grab in the game for Team Makai.
Nacua was named Offensive MVP and Co-Player of the Year at the event, which also included Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams, Indianapolis Colts EDGE Laiatu Latu, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Trey Palmer among others.
Nacua played at Washington before transferring to BYU so he could be closer to his mother and grandmother, who was dealing with some health complications.
Nacua isn’t the only football player in his family, though. Puka’s brothers, Kai, Isaiah, and Samson, all played college football and then had stints in the NFL too.
