Rams' Puka Nacua shares the secret behind switching up his beard style
In October, after Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua made a comeback from the injured reserve, he shocked the NFL world with his new look. Nacua, who previously had a rugged beard, revealed the story behind his switch in style during a candid interview on "The Pat McAfee Show."
Interestingly, the NFL WR revealed how his resemblance to a caveman in a popular advertising campaign from the mid-2000s made him change his mind.
"The Progressive commercials—the dude they brought back, the caveman. And I was like, Ah, bro, I don't want anybody to be like, 'Yo, is that Puka Nacua or the caveman guys?'" said Nacua laughingly.
When Pat McAfee chimed in asking whether he thought that he started looking "prehistoric," Nacua admitted that his prior beard may have leaned a little too old-school.
Further, the 2023 NFL Draftee added:
"I'm a physical guy in the kind of old-school football ways, but I was like, 'I don't know if I wanna go that old-school. I don't want to put that out there.'"
Well, the shift in style coincided with his return to NFL action in Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings after a five-game absence due to a PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament) injury.
Puka Nacua's lighter appearance hasn’t dulled the Rams WR's edge
The revamped appearance seems to be working for Nacua. Firstly, in his comeback game, he pulled off a 106-yard performance during the Rams' win (30–20 win) over the Vikings.
Now, in Week 14, Nacua delivered a masterclass performance while playing against the Buffalo Bills. He amassed 178 total yards and two TDs and helped the LA Rams to finish with a 44–42 win.
Currently, the Rams are standing at 7-6. Their playoff dreams are still alive with four more NFL games to go.
Across eight games that he played this season, Nacua has 708 receiving yards and three TDs.
Considering the statistics and performance, LA Rams head coach Sean McVay has praised Puka Nacua’s impact and called him an "igniter" who energized the team.