Puka Nacua plans to hang up his cleats as Aaron Donald did: ‘I want to retire at the age of 30’
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Puka Nacua already knows when he wants to retire.
It’s not anytime soon, but it’s probably a lot sooner than Rams fans might want to think about right now.
Asked during a recent podcast appearance how he might know when it’s time to hang up his cleats, the 23-year-old star receiver did not hesitate in answering.
“I know I want to retire at the age of 30,” Nacua said on an episode of “Join the Lobby” that went live Saturday.
That’s either six or seven seasons away, depending on when during the start of his fourth decade Nacua (born May 29, 2001) decides to call it a career.
Retiring Aaron Donald was the face of the Rams and the reason they hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl LVI. Never has there been a bigger void to fill.
Nacua cited former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as his inspiration. Donald was a three-time defensive player of the year and made the Pro Bowl in all 10 of his NFL seasons before retiring last offseason at age 32.
“I think of Aaron Donald,” Nacua said. “To go out at the top, I think it would be super cool.”
But Nacua said he has at least five other reasons.
“I want to have a big family,” said Nacua, who is the second-youngest sibling in a family with four brothers and a sister. “I want to have at least a starting five. I came from a big family, so I need five boys. I want to be able to be a part of their lives and be as active as I can with them.”
Selected by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, Nacua was an instant sensation, setting NFL rookie records for total receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486) and earning a Pro Bowl berth. Last year, he was hampered by a right knee sprain that caused him to miss five games early in the season.
Matthew Stafford has been a longtime fan of Davante Adams, and he’s looking forward to working closely with the wide receiver during the upcoming season.
Nacua said he only wants to risk sustaining a major injury for so long before devoting his time to fatherhood and a post-football career that will possibly involve real estate and owning restaurants.
“The injuries are something you can’t control [as] part of the game, so you never know,” he said. “Hopefully, the rest of the career can go healthy, but you have shoulder surgery, you have knee surgery, you have ankle [issues]. By the time my kids could be 18, I could be barely walking if you play the game and sustain all the injuries and stuff like that.”
